On the Table: Spring Onion Jam

I got some beautiful spring onions at the farmers' market last week, and I wanted to do something really special with them. 

I decided to make an onion jam, which I figured could add a nice accent to a variety of dishes.  The jam takes a little while to make, but it is really easy and incredibly delicious!  To prepare:

Cut the green tops off a bunch of spring onions, but don't throw them away!  You can use them to add flavor and crunch to soups, salads, or sandwiches - like, say, chicken salad (it's perfect - you can put onion tops in the salad, and onion jam on top)!

Thinly slice the onions.  I like my jam with distinguishable pieces of onions, but you can cut the onions really small if you prefer.

Put a small saucepot over low heat, and thinly coat the bottom of the pan with about a tablespoon of canola oil.  You will want to use low low low heat the whole time you are making the jam - as low as you can go!  Add the onions into the pot, along with a sprinkle of salt.  Cook very gently, stirring often, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions get tender (the time may depend on the size of the pieces of onion).  You may need to add a bit more oil, if the onions start to stick to the pan. 

When the onions are tender, add into the pot half of a cup of brown sugar, a quarter of a cup of balsamic vinegar, and an eighth of a cup of apple cider vinegar.  Cook, stirring often, for about an hour, or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the onions are very very soft.  During the cooking time, you may need to add some more liquid to the pot, if the liquid has all evaporated but the onions are not cooked to your satisfaction yet.  I just used water, but it would be delicious to use fruit juice as well.  Be careful with adding more vinegar, since you could end up with a really vinegary jam.

Enjoy!