Kim Dae-seok's Onion Jam

Name: Kim Dae-seok's Onion Jam
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 20 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: onion 3kg; raw sugar 3kg

A versatile seasoning that adds deep umami and healthy sweetness to a hundred dishes

40 min Difficulty Easy Sauces & basics

Main ingredients

onion

Ingredients needed 20 servings

onion 3kg

Shop ingredients on Coupang(Ad)

onion

Kim Dae-seok's Onion and Green Chili Ssamjang

An upgraded ssamjang that maximizes flavor and texture by adding crunchy onions and spicy green chilies to store-bought ssamjang

5 minVery easySauces & basics

ssamjangoniongreen chili

ultra simpleperfect meat pairingversatile sauce

Ttukdak Hyung's Onion Jam

Onion jam made by slowly cooking onions in butter and sugar to bring out sweetness, finished with lemon juice

50 minEasySauces & basics

butteronionslemon juice

gourmethome cookingversatile sauce

raw sugar 3kg

Recipe

Wash the onions thoroughly, trim both ends, and dry completely for one and a half days until no moisture remains.
Cut the dried onions in half, keeping the skins on, then slice them thinly and uniformly.
Place the sliced onions and raw sugar in a large bowl in a 1:1 ratio and mix well.
Knead with your hands for 3–4 minutes to help the raw sugar absorb moisture and dissolve quickly.
Transfer to an airtight container with air holes, and slightly open the lid’s vent to allow gas to escape.
Store in a cool, shaded, well-ventilated area, stirring the sugar that settles at the bottom once every 2–3 days during the first few weeks.
After 3 months of aging, strain out the solids and store only the clear liquid in PET bottles in the refrigerator for use.

Slice thinly and uniformly, skin-on, after washing and fully drying the onions.
Mix onions and raw sugar in a 1:1 ratio, knead for 3–4 minutes, then transfer to a container with air vents.
Age for 3 months in a shaded, well-ventilated spot, stirring settled sugar occasionally, then strain and store only the liquid.

Cooking tips

Use high-quality onions without any damage, as wounds can cause spoilage during fermentation.
If raw sugar is used in less than a 1:1 ratio, sourness may develop within a week or mold may grow—strictly maintain the 1:1 weight ratio.
Do not discard the strained onion solids; grind them and use them to marinate meat or when making doenjang or kimchi for enhanced umami flavor.

Recommended for

Those who want to enhance the umami of their dishes using natural ingredients without artificial seasonings.
Those looking to make homemade sweet condiments that deliver sweetness while supporting health.

Yoon Yi-ryeon's Low-Sodium Onion Ssamjang

A low-sodium ssamjang made by generously mixing onion, cheongyang chili pepper, and tuna into salty homemade doenjang, then mellowing the flavor with starch syrup and maesil syrup.

15 minVery easySauces & basics

onioncheongyang chili peppertunahomemade doenjanggochujang

super simplehealthyall-purpose sauce

Kim Dae-seok's Universal Onion Soy Sauce

Dry thinly sliced onions until completely dehydrated, then age them in soy sauce to enhance umami and sweetness, creating a versatile seasoning sauce.

10 hrEasySauces & basics

OnionPremium soy sauce

Universal saucePreserved foodCooking tip

Ttukdak Hyung's Gogijip Yangpajjeom

An ultra-simple recipe that easily recreates the sweet, sour, and spicy onion pickles sauce from meat restaurants at home.

5 minVery easySauces & basics

onionperilla leavessoy saucevinegarsugar

super easyall-purpose saucemeat dish

This Man's Cook Onion Egg Pancake

A crispy pancake made by mixing onions and eggs using only their natural moisture, maximizing the sweetness of onions and the savory richness of eggs.

15 minEasyside dish

onionpotatocarrotperilla leafegg

super easykids snackrice-friendly

Kim Dae-seok's Onion Jam

Main ingredients 🥩

Tags 🏷️

Ingredients needed 🛒20 servings