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.
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.
- 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
- 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.
Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman's Tomato Jam. http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017532-tomato-jam
YUM!! We make tomato jam every year with our garden tomatoes…so good!
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.
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 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.
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.