Caramelized Red Onion Relish

 This recipe is adapted from one of my favourite “go to” canning books- Food in Jars by Marisa McClennan.  Check it out.  

I love last year’s Sweet & Sour Red Onion Pickles and I think this year’s love will be Caramelized Red Onion relish.  Besides, I just made a few batches of garlic powder using my freshly harvested garlic.  Will know in a few weeks when the relish has “rested”, how it turns out, garlic and all.

Put this on cheese and crackers, add it to burgers and meats, spread it on a pizza or focaccia.

This recipe makes about 6  250ml jars.

Ingredients

1 tbsp.     Unsalted butter

1.2 kg.     Red onions, sliced into thin half moons (4 or five large onions)  Use your food processor slicing             blade set to 2.5 for uniform slices)

1 cup.       Brown sugar

1 cup.       Apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup.    Malt vinegar

2 tsp.        Sea salt

1 tsp.        Garlic powder

1/2 tsp      Ground black pepper

1/4 tsp.     Cayenne pepper

Directions

I place clean jars in my dishwasher on the rinse cycle to heat them up, ready for filling.

Melt the butter over medium-low heat, in a large canning pot.  Add the onions.  Cook until the onions are golden and fragrant, about 20-25 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced.

Ladle the relish into the hot jars.  Gently tap the jars on a towel lined countertop to help loosen any bubbles, before using a wooden chopstick to dislodge any remaining bubbles.  Wipe the rims, apply the lids and screw bands and process in a steam canner for 15 minutes.  When the processing time is up, remove the lid carefully and let the jars sit in the canner for about five minutes.  This helps to prevent the relish from reacting to the rapid temperature change.