This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We live in the greenhouse capital of Canada, and as well, everybody grows awesome tomatoes in their yards until almost October. We are besieged with great tomatoes. This is a terrific way to use the tomatoes you can’t freeze, can, eat…We are also in wine country, so this is fantastic with charcuterie…a little wine, a little cheese, a bit of cured meat…all better with this lovely jam. I am making double the recipe tomorrow, and giving jars to friends and neighbours.❤️
Thank you so much for your comment! I love to hear from my Canadian neighbors and am jealous of your bumper crop. I didn’t have much luck this year and am relying on my local farm stand. Enjoy!
This is absolutely delicious, I put it on everything. When I serve it to guests, they can’t get enough and demand the recipe. This does not disappoint. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe.
I’m happy you like it! Thank you so much for your kind comment!
I can’t keep this in the house. The best and easiest recipe for making some quite unique. Try it instead of ketchup on your burger. Divine.
It is an excellent ketchup substitute! Thank you!
Do I prepare the jars as I would making any other jams?
Yes, you definitely want to prep the jars.
I’ve been wanting to make tomato jam for a couple years, ever since I tried some that a coworker brought to a work potluck. Now there’s one coming up at my newer job & I decided I wanted to enlighten my new people as my old coworker did me.
I made this recipe just as written & it did not disappoint! Can attest that peeling the tomatoes would be a waste of time – you don’t notice the skins at all. It took a lot longer to cook down than posted, even in a large, wide-bottom pot, but I expected & allotted a decent amount of time for it anyway.
For those who don’t enjoy spice, this amount of cayenne does not make it very spicy (even my spice-hating daughter-in-law loved it), but maybe only put 1/4 tsp instead? I think omitting it completely would take away the smokiness that’s such a big part of the delicious flavor profile of tomato jam.
Bookmarked this recipe to be used multiple times in the future!
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m really thrilled you liked it and shared your tips for the spices.
Delicious! We enjoy the jam on costini or crackers with goat cheese or cream cheese.
This recipe solved our garden problem. We have a plum tomato plant that isn’t producing enough tomatoes for sauce. This recipe allows me to use the small harvests as well as the tomato that fall off the vine or have bad spots.
Thank you so much, Beth!
I grated the tomatoes (Bloody Butcher variety), as we don’t like the skins, but squeezed the goodness from the skins into the pot. I used balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar and excluded the cayenne pepper (too hot for us). To help get the redness, I added a tablespoon of tomato puree. I used a mixture of sugars (white, demerera and dark brown). Very tasty and savoury…. Stored in an airtight clean glass jar, we’ll let it mature for a few weeks. We call it a chutney over here (England). Many thanks!!
Thank you for your comment, Armand! I appreciate your tips and modifications, other readers will definitely find them helpful.
Fantastic recipe! Made this for some smoked beef cheek sliders w goat cheese and it was the perfect addition.
That sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing and for your kind comment.
I have just made this fabulous tomato jam for the 4th time. I initially sliced the tomatoes very thin and then cut them into smaller bits- today I used the food processor – a significant shortcut. I pulsed until there were small bits. It was not puree.
Another tip for those who say it doesn’t thicken is to use a pot with a wider circumference so that there is more surface on the burner. That really reduces the time stirring as it simmers.
I have taken it to friends who love it and request the recipe. It is wonderful any way you serve it!
Thank you so much!
i tried it with Yellow bell tomatoes, they have a sweet acidy taste thats kinda addictive, ill let you know how it all goes
Yes, I would love to hear how it turns out!