Easy Tomato Jam
Tomatoes cooked down until sticky sweet, this Easy Tomato Jam is simple to make. Tangy, sticky and perfect for entertaining. All you need is a little time, patience and some will-power….so you don’t eat the whole batch all by yourself.
It’s raining tomatoes. At least in my area it is. I found this amazing, secret farm stand just around the corner from my house about a month or two ago…..just in time for the end of summer.
And I’ve lived here for two years now, this is the first I ever stumbled upon it. I really need to open my eyes when I drive around, I’m missing out on all kinds of things…like a cheese shop that I keep driving by and everyone says is fabulous.
But I have yet to venture inside because I’m afraid I may never leave. I mean, it’s a cheese shop. The only thing better than a cheese shop would be a butter shop and I haven’t come across one of those yet.
Back to the farm stand….they sell a bazillion tomatoes and every time I show up they have bushels of them for $5. Yes, $5. FIVE DOLLARS! It’s crazy, so I’ve been whipping up sauce, all kinds of sauce…Bolognese Sauce, Stovetop Marinara, you name it.
I shipped some off to Penn State this weekend….it was a Vodka sauce and now that I think about it, I should have shot some photos and posted the recipe for you. I’ll add it to the ever-growing list of things I want to share with all of you…my lovely internet friends.
Because you ARE my friends….you keep coming back here to eat with me and listen (um….watch…read?) to me yammer on about crazy stuff that’s going on in my present, past and possible future. See….I’m off track again.
Since my freezer is adequately stocked for winter like we’re a family squirrels (except tomatoes instead of nuts…because we’re already nuts) I had to do something with the 30 bushels of tomatoes sitting around.
I whipped up a tomato and goat cheese crostata and paired it with a fresh bloody mary, then I imagined myself eating a crisp, buttery cracker topped with goat cheese and tomato jam. The problem, I didn’t have tomato jam so I played around with a recipe I had printed out a while ago with every intention of making it…canning it…and squirreling it away for winter. Let me tell you this….there’s no need to can it.
What is Tomato Jam? (Or tomato marmalade for that matter.)
Tomato jam is a sweet spread made with fresh tomatoes, sugar and a bit of spices. It’s cooked down to a jammy consistency and is perfect on top of that avocado toast everyone is posting on Instagram lately.
How do you make a Sweet Tomato Jam recipe?
Much different than a Savory Tomato Jam, which reminds me of a tomato sauce that’s overly thick, this sweet tomato jam is earthy and tangy and sticky and sweet.
You simply stir together the tomatoes, sugar and spices then cook down for a bit until it’s thick, sticky and….well, sweet. You can do this with regular tomatoes or make a cherry tomato jam recipe just the same way with those cute as a button cherry or grape tomatoes.
Why, you ask? Because it’s so good (and doesn’t make that much to begin with) you will eat all of this Easy Tomato Jam before it has a chance to go bad. And it’s so simple, with easy to find ingredients….it has a little kick to it from cayenne pepper and a beautiful spice from fresh ginger.
It goes swimmingly with the goat cheese I mentioned a little while ago and it would be amazing on some avocado toast for a quick, healthy breakfast. You really should make this very soon….really….go…go now.
If you’re not really in the tomato mood then you should DEF try this Easy Orange Marmalade recipe, it’s like the best ever with a little hint of vanilla OR whip up this super simple Strawberry jam, it’s so amazing and so incredibly easy. The the best ever refrigerator jam. And this FIG Jam is always a hit….great to save for the winter months as an epic freezer jam.
And I just used up the rest of the summer blueberries for this EASY Blueberry Jam that’s going in the freezer until winter. Cause I’m a planner like that….for now.
Get the Recipe: Easy Tomato Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds very good ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped, ( I used roma tomatoes)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a heavy bottom saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning.
- Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of jam. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
179 Comments on “Easy Tomato Jam”
YUM!! We make tomato jam every year with our garden tomatoes…so good!
This is delicious! Tangy, sweet, and a little spicy.
Curious how much a serving is? The nutrition information says amount per serving 0 grams? My guess is one serving is a tablespoon. Let me know.
About one tablespoon is a serving. I’m glad you loved it!
How long should this simmer before it ultimately thickens? It has cooked down, but is still very loose. Will it thicken in the refrigerator?
Hi Gina,
You can try the freezer test. Put a plate in the freezer for 15 minutes, then put a drop of jam on the plate to see if it sets up. It usually takes a minute or two. Sometimes it takes my tomatoes 30-40 minutes to cook down but it will definitely thicken up when it’s cold.
I have quite a bit of tomatoes at home and this seems like the perfect recipe to try out Can I use dry ginger instead of fresh ginger?
You can, but used just a bit less of it.
I’ve never made or even tried tomato jam but it looks so stunning in your jar, I’ve got to give it a go and make a no sugar version.
Don’t you just love when you find a special little farm stand or shop? It’s almost hard to share the secret because you want to keep it all to yourself. 🙂 This jam is a wonderful way to use up those end-of-season tomatoes!
$5?! Gosh. It’s good we don’t have that deal around here because my husband would be buying several bushels at a time. He does that kind of stuff. This jam looks like such a great use for them!
Everybody needs a good tomato jam. Your recipe looks wonderful and I will be keeping it. I grow Italian tomatoes and they are the best!
There’s a local farmstand here by my place in NW Philly that has some of the best tomatoes. After seeing this recipe, I can see where I will be this weekend because tomato jam needs to be made!
You should definitely give it a shot! I forgot you were in the Philly area, not too far away!
I miss having a garden so we can grow our own tomatoes. I’m determined to put in some raised beds next year. Love having more tomatoes than I can shake a fist at.
This recipe is amazing, my hubby would go nuts for this stuff. He’d be slathering it over everything in sight. Plus it’s just so pretty.
Thanks, Kim! I really would love a garden but so would the deer that hang out in my yard every night. It would be a losing battle. 🙁
Ive never tried tomato jam! This looks so good! I might have to make this paleo and try this!
So easy…report back with your Paleo-ized version if you can!
Yaaassss! Tomato Jam IS my jam! Yours looks absolutely fantastic Kelly!
Thanks, Colleen!
Do you think a dutch oven would work?
Yes, absolutely!!!
This looked so great I had to try it. My husband (retired executive chef) was given a honey do list and included was the request to make this for me. He used home grown heirloom tomatoes a friend gave us. He followed the recipe exactly as written and WOW we love it! It’s sweet plus spicy and made the house smell wonderful when it was cooking.
Thank you so much! I’m so flattered and thrilled that you love it. It’s great in grilled cheese sandwiches….just a suggestion. 🙂
I’ll definitely try it in grilled cheese sandwiches, sounds great. I think I’ve been putting it on everything I’ve eaten this week!
Oh my gosh, I just pinned this and planned to make it very soon, but this idea! Now I reeeeally need to try this!
Thank you!
Can this be canned for storage/shelf life? Or just made for fridge life of 10 days?
You can definitely can it for shelf life.
How long do you hot water bath it for?
I usually do at least 30 minutes but I’m not sure that’s best. I would consult a canning expert on that one.
Can this awesome tomato jam be frozen
Yes, it can. Just double wrap it to prevent ice crystals from being formed on the top. So, I usually place plastic wrap directly on top of the jam with a bit of overhang and then place the lid on top.
I used two pounds plus of very ripe green zebra and one HUGE heirloom yellow tomato. I didn’t have fresh ginger so I used some crystallized ginger pieces. I cooked it for over an hour. Cooked way down. One full pint. Flavorful but not thick. Hopefully putting in the fridge will help. They might just have been too ripe. Will try again as the flavor is good.
I have found that if the tomatoes are a little more ripe than should be the jam is not as thick. Usually the fridge will tighten it up, hope it worked for you!
Can you can this jam and process it in a hot water bath?
Yes, you can definitely process in a hot water bath!
For how long
Do you mean the simmering time? It’s usually about 25-30 minutes but it can take a little longer depending on how juicy your tomatoes are.
Help! I want to make this, but I have some questions: 1) when you say “core,” do you mean removing all the seeds and such from the inside? 2) if so, should the 2 pounds be BEFORE coring or the weight after it’s cored? Thanks!
It should be 2 pounds before coring and that does mean to remove the seeds and woody stem end.
My mother loves tomatoes and this will be her Mother’s Day surprise. Just not sure what to put it on/in. (Preferably finger food). Suggestions anyone?? Thanks!
I have a recipe for a savory cheesecake that’s topped with tomato jam but you can also use it in grilled cheese sandwiches or as a burger topping!
Just tried this with kumato tomatoes! It smells so good!! It’s still simmering away at the moment. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy it just as much as we do!
Can this be frozen?
Thankyou
Yes, absolutely! In an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. 🙂
I’m using the tomatoe jam on my shrimp and grit cakes. Should be divine!
That’s such a GREAT idea!!!
I never heard of Tomato Jam until I saw this on Pinterest. I made my first batch and Love It! I am making another batch and will finish off my bushel of tomatoes making Tomato Jam. *BTW For each batch I tripled the recipe 😀
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love how easy it is.
I tasted tomato jam for the first time on my honeymoon and it was love at first bite! I had to try it again at home and was so pleased that this recipe very closely resembles 5-star restaurant version! I’m making a double batch now for yummy hone-made gifts
I am soooooo glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorite recipes. 🙂
I’m trying this today, with Compari tomatoes. I had tomato jam on a burger with brie last night in a cafe and it was great. So now I need my own supply.
I was wondering if green tomatoes offer any pectin that would help the jam firm up. I could add one if you think it would.
Linda
That’s a great questions, Linda! I don’t have an answer because I haven’t tried it yet.
I would love make this recipe, but replace the sugar with Xylithol.. I hope it is going to work. Hold thumbs.
Please let me know how this turns out….would love a low sugar sub for those that can’t have so much in their recipes.
What do you think about adding a couple cloves of garlic? Have you tried that? I think this would be amazing over Burrata cheese.
I think the garlic would be an excellent addition!
Hi. I’m married to an Indian and make Tomato Chutney. My friend in Lebanon made Tomato Jam and I was so intrigued. My best friend helped me baste a quilt and gave me a bunch of Heirloom Tomatoes! They are gorgeous. I will be trying this recipe as like many of your commenters, I’ve only just heard of it and will be trying your recipe! Thank you!
Please come back and let me know what you think! I love Tomato Chutney, too….I’ll be posting that recipe this summer. Love the warm spices in it.
Hi! Oh what a lovely recipe this was!! I am making more and was looking for this pin and saw your message! Thank you again!
Hi Kellie. I am about to try this recipe out with some organic cherry tomatoes from Holland!!!!! Eeeeeee
I was born in South America and my aunt made tomato jam every summer so I have been on the lookout for a recipe. I made this jam and it is delicious. Served it on home made crostini spread with tomato jam and topped with goat cheese. Best and easiest appetizer! It is also great as a topping for baked Brie. Thanks for the great recipe.
We do love this on top of brie…..so good!
Just made my first ever batch of tomato jam using some backyard tomatoes given to my husband,.Good easy recipe, will be having it in our cheese sangers this weekend.
Thank you so much! It’s surprising how addictive it is! And thank you for the rating. 🙂
Can’t get homegrown here yet? Have you ever tried with jarred/canned tomatoes? I’m thinking it should work. Sounds incredible! Thanks.
I’m sorry I haven’t tried it with canned tomatoes.
We don’t like too much sweeter with Savory. Can I cut back on the sugar and if so, how much. And will it still set?
You can definitely cut back on the sugar a bit but you may need it to simmer a little bit longer to set up.
Can this be canned? Water bath or pressure?
Either method will work….I’m a fan of water bath canning, though.
How many jars does this recipe make? Do you peel the tomatoes first or run then through a sieve to remove the skins? Your recipe looks fabulous, I might just sit and eat it with a spoon right from the jar!
I do not peel my tomatoes, they tend to break down enough that I didn’t feel it was necessary. And I think it makes like one standard size ball jar. I just had a bunch of little jars and it filled three of them.
Hi, I have a thriving cherry tomato bush. Would those work?
YES! It will definitely work but it may be a little sweeter and you may have to cook a little longer for it to set up.
Many recipes I have seen say to peel your tomatoes. Do you peel yours? Thanks!
I do not….you can if you prefer but I don’t mind the peels. They kind of disintegrate into the jam.
I love this simple recipe. I am going to try using canned tomatoes’ and 1 Tablespoon of pectin in my bread machine. We made all kinds of berry jams in it and they turned out perfectly!!
OMG! I never thought to make jam in the bread machine! That’s such a great idea and thank you for sharing.
I was given an abundance of cherry tomatoes, so I’ve decided to try your recipe. I’m on WW so I thought of using Splenda for the sugar, do you think that will work?
It will definitely work but you will have to cook it much longer to reduce it down.
I just finished jarring 4 1/2 pints of your tomato jam. My husband LOVED it. I did make it with brown sugar replacement and just cooked it a little longer. It taste wonderful.
This my first time making tomato jam, but I’ve put this recipe in a special place so I can make it again. Thank you.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it and I love the addition of brown sugar.
Hi Kellie, I used the suggested minus 1/2 cup sugar and instead of adding chili peppers, I used pinches of cayenne pepper. I halved the recipe to produce 1 cup and added 3 pinches of cayenne pepper. It makes it a real sweet and spicy jam. Not sure if 6 pinches will translate to the full 2 cup recipe but give it a go!
Love the suggestions and so glad you enjoyed the recipe!!! It’s definitely one of our favorites!!!
Hello
I am making your jam and the tomato peels are separating and I am having to pick them out one by one. Is this what happens?
They will peel off and cook down so no need to pick them out.
I had tomato jam on a chicken biscuit from a food truck OMGCB it was delicious. I am going to try your recipe soon. Have you tried doubling the recipe and freezing it for winter!
I have doubled it but you’re going to need to cook it down a lot longer because of the quantity and you can definitely freeze this with excellent results!
I could not believe how amazing this tasted and I have never met a tomato I didn’t like. I actually plan to grow a bunch of tomatoes next year now so I can make a batch as often as I can during the season. A batch doesn’t make much but it is so worth it. My problem…I give home made jams and jellies as Christmas gifts but I’m not sure I love anybody enough to part with this BTW, I have never rated or commented on a recipe before. That should tell you how great this jam is
This comment made my day….I love tomato season just so I can make this jam and am so happy you loved it as much as we do!
Hi Kellie! I just made this wonderful and unusual recipe and it is absolutely delicious! I live in Colombia, South America and we have tomatoes all year around. I used cherry tomatoes and it turned out just perfect. I have a get together with some friends this week-end and I will prepare a couple batches as presents for my friends. They will love it too.
Thank you so much for your generosity and for sharing this unique recipe for the world to try!
¡Gracias!
I’m so glad you loved it! This is the best time of year to make it, too…at least here in the US.
I’m out of freezer space. Can I use the hot pack method for this jam ?
Yes, you can!
Do you peel the tomatoes?
Nope! I just toss them in the pot!
Uh oh, I missed the part about coring them and just chopped off the stem end and then chopped them all up so the seeds are in there too (I used roma tomatoes). Hopefully I can cook it down enough so it isn’t all runny!
I’ve made it with the seeds, too…..no worries!
Can you freeze this Jam?
Yes! You can, it freezes beautifully!!
This recipe is terrific and mouth-watering. Recently I tried a strawberry jam recipe as I love it, and I eat it daily at breakfast. My next try would be this tomato jam recipe and hope the results would be overwhelming. Thanks for sharing
So glad you loved it!
I made it twice in as many days. One with light brown sugar, one with Swerve. Both turned out perfectly. Will make it again with Swerve. I don’t need all that sugar. Couldn’t tell the difference in taste.
I’m so happy you posted about using Swerve! That’s wonderful to hear it worked well, so many others will find this useful, too. Thanks again!!
Oh my gosh, this is so good. Had small yellow tomatoes to use up and bam tomato jam. Had about 2cups of tomatoes and just adjusted the amounts of everything else.
Thank you! What a great way to use up yellow tomatoes, too!
I’ll rate the recipe as soon as I’ve made it… Tomorrow. I’m using Xylitol and hope it turns out fabulous. The tomato jams disappeared from our shelves, it used to be such a South African thing!
I’ll keep you posted!
Corlia
Looks like I’m kind of late to the party. I was looking for a tomato jam recipe to use up ~12 oz. of Cherub cherry tomatoes that were past their prime. I found your recipe and followed it exactly only I cut down the ingredients to 1/3. I will say that I used my immersion blender after about 10 minutes…..it’s hard to core and seed cherry tomatoes. The house smells divine! Plan on putting it on grilled cheese for dinner tonight. I can think of many different uses for this jam. Goat cheese and toasted baguettes, toasted and buttered biscuits, maybe a dollop on cheese grits. Endless possibilities. Thanks.
Fashionably late. 🙂 So glad you found it and loved it as we do!
Can this jelly( jam) be frozen?
Yes! It, actually, freezes beautifully!
This was delicious! My mother in law said her mom used to make a spicy ketchup that was delicious — she still craves it but has never found anything similar. When I told her about your tomato jam recipe, she thought it could be that long-lost flavor she misses. I hope so!
What a great find! I hope she enjoys it!
I am so glad I made this wonderful recipe! I was looking for a recipe that did not call for lemons, because I was out, and we live too far out in the country to run to the store for one ingredient! Our garden is producing more tomatoes than it ever has and I was desperate for tomato ideas. This jam is a hit with my husband, parents, and kids, I am already planning on making another batch! Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment!
This recipe looks amazing! My garden is producing SO many cherry tomatoes and I can’t wait to try this recipe! I think it will be awesome in the fall/winter with goat cheese and crackers, so I plan on freezing it. I do have a question though. The recipe calls for cored tomatoes, do I also need to seed the tomatoes? I only ask because I see seeds in the picture of your jam.
I just remove the core but leave the seeds because I’m lazy. LOL! I kind of like the texture of the seeds, too. Enjoy!
Just made this today with my bounty of Roma tomatoes. I peeled the tomatoes prior to cooking. I made the recipe exact and it is delicious. I put some on a cracker spread with cream cheese…yummy! I ended up with 2 cups.
Sounds wonderful with the cream cheese! Thank you so much for your comment.
The only downside to this is that now I am EXPECTED to make this for friends and neighbors because everyone loves it so much.
It’s always a hit….I’m so glad you tried it! Thank you for commenting and have a great day!
I have a crop of cherry tomatoes so I tried you tomato jam. Everyone loves it!!! The sweet, the spicy….
I have A LOT of tomatoes and have already stocked my freezer full of stuff for the winter. Can I freeze the jam? I would make a huge batch!
Thanks.
So glad to hear that! You can definitely freeze the jam…..it’s always stocked in my freezer over the winter months.
Can I can the tomato jam with a water bath?
I haven’t tested it to say for sure.
Delicious, especially with Bellavitano cheese! I wish I would have skinned the tomatoes first as I was fishing out lots of little sticks of curled skin. Also took at least an hour to simmer, and that was on medium heat stirring most of the time. Made two half pint jars—one for me & one for a neighbor.
So glad you loved it! I have to try that cheese!
Do you peel and seed the tomatoes?
I do no!
I’m currently making my third batch since I found this recipe! I use it on sandwiches. I add it to sautéed vegetables. My favorite use is adding it to scrambled eggs. Thank you for sharing!
I love to hear this! Thank you so much for your comment!
Would it be ok to use frozen tomatoes?
Thanks.
Yes! You can definitely use frozen tomatoes.
This jam tastes delicious, but the tomatoes are in terrible need of blanching and peeling before using.
Some tomatoes may have a thicker skin requiring you to peel them but most plum tomatoes or smaller tomatoes do not require that step.
Amazing! This was my first time ever making tomato jam and I will be making it again soon! I ate it on some grilled chicken with goat cheese and I spread the jam on top! Amazing!! Thank you!
What a great way to enjoy it! I’ll be trying that for sure!
This is soooo good. I would love to can it. How would you do that?
Just using a standard water bath canning method would work.
Just made the tomato jam,so good .Tomato jam.
Thank you!
This is really great. I canned it, used Pomona’s Universal Pectin, I will add the Pomona’s earlier next time to reduce the fluid reduction. Oh we also halved sugar, tripled ginger, jalapenos(no seeds added), doubled spices (except cumin) and lime. : )
Thank you so much for your tips! I love seeing how everyone is making this recipe their very own. Bravo! Love the jalapeno addition!!!
A-MAZING ! I have tons of tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, so that’s what I used. After simmering awhile, I just used an imersion blender to blend up the skins. Love it ! I’ll definitely be making it again and trying the Romas and big tomatoes too.
I will definitely try with cherry tomatoes! Thank you for your comment!
Do you peel the tomatoes?
It depends on my mood.
This is soooo good! I literally had tears of joy when I ate it. It’s delicious!
Yay! I love recipes that create tears of joy!!! I’m so glad you liked it.
Have this on my stove right now – never heard of it til I googled “what to do with excess tomatoes!” One thing I may have done wrong – I voted them as I would normally do which I thought meant to just remove the stem & core but in one post you said to remove seeds which I didn’t do – hoping it still works!
It will still work….just with seeds which isn’t a problem at all. 🙂
I am going to try your easy tomato jam recipe but note that no pectin is required?
No pectin! I try not to use it in any of my jam recipes so this is more of a refrigerator jam in that it tightens up when it’s chilled.
Made this twice now and it’s super dee-lish, exactly as stated: sweet, savory, tangy. Amazing with veggie burgers and eggs especially!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy you loved it!
How can the tomato jam recipe be adapted to a canned product that will last in your fruit cellar rather for 10 days or so in the fridge?
I haven’t canned this recipe so I can’t be sure.
Just made this and it’s amazing. You’re right it won’t last. I’ve loads more tomatoes so will have to make another batch. I omitted the cloves, not a fan, reminds me of old fashioned dentists
I’m so glad you loved it….and ha, ha with the cloves!! That’s a very good point. 🙂
Can you make tomato jam with canned tomatoes
I haven’t tried it but my educated guess would be yes! Now you have me intrigued….definitely going to test this out soon.
Can you freeze it?
You can definitely freeze it! It lasts about 3 months in the freezer.
Love this recipe. I use it as a pizza sauce. I had a wonderful pizza at a restaurant, they used a tomato jam. I’ve been looking for a good recipe, this is it. I reduce the sugar, it still gives my pizza a nice sweetness. I’m trying it today in my Pampered chef cooking blender.
Love that you used it for pizza!
Can you can this recipe?
Yes, it is suitable for canning using a water bath sealing method.
Hi there. Just wondering if there is a need to peel the tomatoes prior to making this recipe.
Nope, you don’t have to peel them.
what must i add to prevent my jam from rottening
You can freeze it!
Great recipe, I had a bunch of green that turned red, but also incorporated a few of the green that did not change into this golden recipe, very versatile. Thank you
You’re welcome! Thank you for your comment!
Can you use frozen tomatoes?
I haven’t tested it with frozen tomatoes so I can’t be sure.
How much does this make? I plan to put it in jars, 280ml jars.
Thanks!
Plan on an hour, approximately but it does depend on how long it takes your tomatoes to cook down.