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This Easy Tomato Jam is the perfect condiment to slather on toast, sandwiches, and everything in between. All you have to do is throw everything in a pot, let it simmer, and you’re done.
It’s tomato season! For more awesome ways to use fresh tomato, check out this Chilled Cucumber Tomato Salad, this One Pot Fresh Tomato Pasta, and this Caprese Sandwich with Basil.
Homemade Tomato Jam
If there’s anything you do with all those leftover tomatoes this summer, make this tomato jam! It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory, and goes with pretty much anything. We love to slather it on toast with a runny fried egg, snuggle it into plain turkey sandwiches, and serve it alongside grilled chicken.
Bonus? It’s a virtually fool-proof, hand-free recipe. All you have to do is throw everything in a pot and let it do its thing until the tomatoes break down and are perfectly jammy and sweet.
Ingredients in Tomato Jam:
- Tomatoes. If you have a ton of leftover heirloom tomatoes you need to get rid of, of course you can use those, but tomato jam is best purposed for those less sweet Roma tomatoes.
- Vinegar. Ever jam needs a little bit of acid, and while you could use pretty much any vinegar you have on hand, we went with apple cider vinegar. It has the perfect amount of sweet and acidic flavor, plus it’s super affordable.
- Lemon. To me, lemon and tomato go hand in hand, so we add just a little bit in addition to the apple cider vinegar.
- Onion and garlic. You won’t always find onion and garlic in a tomato jam recipe, but I really like the extra flavor and texture they both add to the tomato jam.
- Spices. For a smoky, warm flavor, we add both ground cinnamon and ground cumin. Just enough to add a little bit of flavor, but not enough for it to be singled out.
- Sugar. Another really important ingredient in our tomato jam. Sugar of course, adds sweetness to the tomato jam, but it’s also necessary to balance out all the acid in the tomatoes, vinegar, and lemon juice.
Let’s Make Some Jam!
Guys. This is SO easy. Here’s how it goes down.
- Chop the tomatoes. You’ll want to take out the core of each tomato, but leave the seeds and skin.
- Add tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, spices, salt, onion, and garlic to a large pot. Stir.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook until jammy and sweet and savory and delicious!
Substitutions, Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- While our recipe does call for Roma tomatoes, if you have leftover tomatoes, then by all means, use what you have!
- If you only have apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, you can use one or the other.
- Apple cider vinegar can be swapped out for white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar.
- Stir frequently to prevent the tomatoes from burning or sticking.
- Season properly! In addition to the teaspoon of salt the recipe calls for, you will also have to adjust to your taste. I like things on the saltier side, so I always end up adding a half teaspoon or so more.
Uses for Tomato Jam:
- Spread whole-grain toast with whipped ricotta cheese and tomato jam
- Spoon tomato jam on top of brie and bake in a 375-degree oven until brie is melted, about 15 minutes.
- Spoon tomato jam on top of burrata cheese and serve with toasted crostini.
- Slather tomato jam on whole-wheat bread with Boursin cheese and thick-cut roasted turkey.
- Serve alongside scrambled eggs and toast.
Making Tomato Jam with Pectin:
If you want a more jell-like texture, you can add a tablespoon of pectin to the mixture. Boil for 1-2 minutes and then let cool.
What to Serve with Jam:
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Tomato Jam
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 2 lbs roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a large stock pot. Heat over medium-high. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down, after about 10 minutes. Stir occassionally.
- Once the tomatoes come to a boil, reduce to a low simmer and cook for another one and half to two hours, stirring occassionally, until no liquid remains and the texture is jam-like.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
