I used to have a fantastic coworker named John. He was calm in the face of chaos, had a buoyant sense of humor and knew how not to take things too seriously. And, his wife Amy just happened to be my kitchen soulmate. You’ve got to love a coworker who comes attached to good people.
Amy was the first person to introduce to me tomato jam and now I can’t go back to a life without it. She gifted me a jar last summer, with the recipe attached and I will be forever grateful. I use it in place of ketchup (with turkey burgers), as well as in places where ketchup wouldn’t dare to tread (try it with a soft, stinky cheese. It will change your life).
For those of you who are accustomed to preserving tomatoes, you’ll notice that this recipe does not call for you to peel these tomatoes. That is not a mistake. You see, I’ve made this recipe twice now. The first time, I thought I could improve on things and peeled and seeded the tomatoes prior to cooking them down. However, without those bits, the finished jam was too sweet and entirely without texture. It needs the skin and seeds, to keep things interesting. Don’t take them out.
Tomato Jam Recipe
makes 4 1/2 to 5 pints
updated September 2011: When I made this same recipe this year, my yield was only 3 pints. Depending on the year, the tomatoes and how long you cook it down, the yield will vary a great deal.
5 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
3 1/2 cups sugar
8 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon red chili flakes
Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, simmer the jam until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.
When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from water bath and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, test seals. Store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
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What a great idea. I love tomatoes and am always looking for ways to make them go even further. I’ll definitely try this – and it’s great that there is no peeling or de-seeding necessary. Thanks.
I have an unrelated question, though the tomato jam looks great I’ve been experimenting with ketchup and I’ll have to try this recipe. Raspberries are coming into season out where I am wondering if you have any exciting recipes.
Liv, I just read your question on the tomato jam page from last fall. Have you ever tried the green tomato/raspberry jam? It tastes just like raspberry/ jalapeno jelly!! Let me know and I’ll email you the recipe.
We live where tomatoes never get ripe, but raspberries do. Could you send me that green tomato raspberry jam recipe?
Green Tomato Raspberry Jam- sounds absolutely delicious! Would you please email me the recipe.Thank you,looking forward to topping a BL(T) Biscuit with this wonderful jam :}
hi Lisa ,i just read your reply about green tomato / rasberry jam could i also get the recipe please….its sounds very interesting…is it made with green tomatos as in not yet ripe or with ripe green tomatos? thank you,
debbie
If I didn’t love you before (which I did, mind you), I surely do now.
I was just thinking to myself that I needed a tomato jam recipe. And then you come to the rescue…thank you!
Oooh, this looks amazing! I wish I had an overabundance of tomatos so I can try this recipe!
This is what I’m doing with my 3 pounds of tomatoes!! It sounds so tasty!
another recipe for me to put in my ‘need to make’ file of favourites. I love a nice tomato chutney in the place of ‘tommy’ sauce…how would you say this tomato jam compares to chutney?
Hi! I’m very new to canning, and I LOOOVE your blog!! I’m still in school, so because I have a very small kitchen and only so many medium-sized pots, I need to scale back recipes. Which brings me to my questions – is there a simple way to determine how many tomatoes (or apples or pears or whatever) make a pound? Thanks!
tomatoes are mostly water, so if you chop them up, 1 Lb of chopped tomatoes, equals 1 Pint, or 2 cups. Of course, many recipes that call for Lbs of veggies give that as the weight before you cut the cores out of them. However, for good tomatoes, the cores are negligible, so I use the 5 Lbs = 10 cups method.
Onions and peppers are less dense, so it takes more volume of them to make a Lb.
I am so all over this recipe! I had inclinations to make ketchup, but was dreading the skinning and seeding of a ton of tomatoes. (I recently just got over a bushel+ of peaches and I just can’t take it)This looks perfect for a ketchup-y replacement. Or with crackers and cheese. mmm.
Oh I want to try this! My husband is insisting I take a weekend off from canning, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to find tomatoes the following weekend
I am *SO* going to hunt down tomatoes now. I thought that my canning frenzy was done, but it appears that there is more to do because I must have this in my pantry for the winter!
We made juice with 2 bushels of tomatoes. The leftover skin and pulp and seeds looked to have some value and the home economist in me did NOT want to toss the approx 10 cups uncooked tomato parts. I made a batch of chutney with part of it and will do the jam with the remainder. Homeric!
I would like to have more recipies or ideas using all parts of vegies. can u help me out?
I LOVE this!! I was just looking at my tomato plants this morning, full of ripening fruit and having already made all the salsa we can eat for the winter, was wondering what to do with them. This is perfect, and will be my weekend project. Thanks for sharing!
After making tomato chutney (from Jennifer Perillo’s blog), I have realized how absolutely amazing tomato products can be. The idea of something that’s not quite ketchup but not quite as chunky as chutney sounds amazing. I may have to halve this recipe (if advisable) and make soon. Yummmm!
I just made an almost similar tomato jam for the first time and I am hooked!!!
I am trying to wean my family off ketchup – this might be the answer!
Thanks,
Rachel
That sounds so awesome. This is definitely going on my ‘to make’ list!
Have enjoyed tomato preserves/jam for many decades. It was one of the few things Mom actually cooked! She did not add spices, and we just used it a any other jam. BUT, I’ve been using a spicied recipe lately, and will try your version as well.
Question: about how much volume are you talking here on the chopped tomatoes? I usually just sort of semi-puree it (seeds, skin and all) in the VitaMix and call it a day. Since getting into that habit, I tend to go more by volume than weight.
Thanks!
Your recipes are always so crave-worthy – yum! Quick question – it looks like you have a mix of romas and heritage slicing tomatoes. Do you think all romas would work as well, or would it cook down too much? Thanks
Oh my! I have been drying to try out a tomato jam recipe since I took a cooking class where the chef raved about how it’s delicious and goes with everything. I cannot wait! Thanks Marisa!
My first bout ever with tomatoes was disappointing – wrong choice of tomatoes I’m quite sure for a pasta sauce. After reading this recipe I just have to take a big breath and go for it — can’t wait for the weekend. Any particular type of tomato to use? And also, halving recipe would be okay?
We just made Chuck Williams Tomato Jam — check it out:
http://lucindaville.blogspot.com/2010/09/tomato-confiture.html
Love your site!
Fabulous! We use (sadly store-bought) tomato jam on our turkey burgers too and I’ve been looking for a recipe to make it on my own. I’m wondering if you’ve considered making this in your slow cooker, since the long slow simmer seems just perfect for a slow cooker?
Holy cow, this looks fantastic! And a great Christmas gift idea, too. Someone might just be buying every last tomato at the farmer’s market next week…! Yum.
BTW, I made “sun-dried” tomatoes Monday using your tips. Thank you! They’re delicious and are a great way to use up my bountiful harvest of Romas.
Seattle- we barely had summer- okay we didn’t – so green tomatoes are all over my backyard—any recipes??
Marisa, it was meant to be. After reading your reply to my question about Molly’s Conserva I ran off to the local cooperative extension to pick up my pressure gauge. When I came out of the office, a gentleman with a case of gorgeous tomatoes and several grocery bags of sweet corn said that the guy he grew them for rejected them as too ripe and did I want them. Both the tomatoes and the corn were at the perfect peak of ripeness so I swooped it all up and came home to make Molly’s Conserva. When I had the tomatoes pureed it filled my giant turkey roaster 2/3 full and took 24 hours to cook down. OMG! This stuff is awesome! I got six 6 oz jars out of it. So worth the time it took!
Yum! I love your website. It’s becoming invaluable. Tomato jam is high on my list of canning this year. Thanks!
I’ve been resistant to tomato jam; not sure why. But I am trying this tonight – your pictures & description are too gorgeous to resist. And, how jealous am I of those wide-mouth Kerr half-pints? VERY.
This recipe looks awesome, but since I’m very busy this weekend do you think it would cook down with limited attention in a crock pot? I came into a lot of tomatoes from a co-worker and promised to make something yummy to share. Reviewing a few recipes, but this one is at the top of my list.
This looks great. We went on our honeymoon in Portugal and there was lots of tomato jam there, served with their delicious sheep milk cheeses. I can’t wait to reproduce it and this looks really easy. I’m going to make it this weekend!
Although it will be sweet and not savory, this may inspire me to try the tomato jam recipe I had saved from an old Ozark cookbook. It calls for tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice and rind, and ginger. I had been leery up till now, but will have to give it a go!
This looks delicious! I had a tomato / basil jam (or maybe jelly? can’t remember) at Kitchen Kettle in Lancaster. Totally made me into a tomato jam convert.
Anyone know if I can make this in freezer jam jars?
Ok, so I thought the tomato jam would be the end of it for this year – maybe some pears – and maybe sauerkraut next month. Then I decided to use some of the tomatoes for Molly’s Conserva from your previous post. So, so, so GOOD! Now I’m using the rest of the tomatoes to make 2 more batches and will run out tomorrow to grab the last of the tomatoes in the market to make jam. Thank you so much, Marisa, for inspiring me. I’ve been canning & jamming for years, but you get me excited to try new things. And you’re opening a whole new world for so many people. You’re an absolute jewel.
I made this jam today and it’s wild–I love it. My dried peppers are for some reason over-the-top hot, so I reduced the amount to 1 teaspoon, and it was perfect. I ended up with 5 and a half half-pints. Thanks for the recipe, think I’ll repeat it tomorrow, when I get some more limes!
So I just finished making this. Well, the cans are in the water bath as I type. I wound up with about 6 1/3 pints. Not exactly sure why I got so much more jam, but I’m guessing the culprit is the dry farmed tomatoes I used, perhaps less water to boil off? I am new to canning (this is only my second thing), so I’m hoping I didn’t screw up the ratios of stuff in the process. Anyone know?
I only processed 4 pint jars, thinking I’d just stick the extra half pint or so in the fridge. Now I’ve got more than 2 jars to go in there. How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
The jam tastes AMAZING though, so I’m really excited. Thank you again for the idea!
It should keep at least a couple of months in the fridge. I had my original jar open for at least three months.
You know I’ve tried tomato jam last summer and I think once was enough. It just seems too much like very sweet ketchup for my liking. Mind you, weirdly enough, it was just amazing on scones with cream. But then I have so many other jams that work very well with scones and cream that I’m not prepared to make jam just for this purpose. I think I’ll be sticking to using my tomatoes in ketchups, chutneys and relishes in future
I made this a few years ago and really enjoyed it: it’s very different and you have to think how you’ll use it. I think I may make it especially for a niece who will graduate from high school next spring and who has requested a tea party like foods for her graduation party. She’s very much a foodie and I think homemade tomato jam, with good stinky cheese on little toasts, maybe a carmelized onion piece or two, would make her feel very fancy. I love canning with events in mind.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. Last time I used Mark Bittman’s and I don’t think it had the chili flakes?
Oh.my.god this is SO good!!! I threw everything in the crock pot, put it on high until boiling, then down to low for 24 hours. At about hour 16 the flavor changed to a wonderful, warm, smokey sweetness that I absolutely adore.
I used an immersion blender and pureed the whole thing at about hour 20, then let it cook down from there. It’s now a bbq sauce consistency, and would probably be amazing on chicken. I’ve got another batch in the crock pot right now, and will be canning both batches once that’s done.
So excited…this will be perfect to barter for some of my neighbor’s canned corn, too!
Thank you so much!
I made the tomato jam last night and am thrilled with it! I added in a few sprinkles of dried onion flakes and a little celery seed. Oh man! This is just SO good.
Have you made tomato preserves? The sweet stuff? I found a recipe here: http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/7/AuntDellasTomatoPreserves61735.shtml and made it exactly except I omitted the cinnamon. WOW, another terrific tomato goodie. I also added a combination of under-ripe tomatoes and orangey tomatoes. I’d love to know if you have a tomato preserve (sweet) tucked in your grandma’s recipe box somewhere.
Thanks for all you do here.
jody
[...] in keeping ketchup in the house. This recipe didn’t really come together until I saw this tomato jam recipe over at foodinjars.com and how she uses it as a ketchup substitute! It’s perfect. The tomato jam was probably better [...]
I didn’t understand tomato jam (never tried it) until you said “ketchup substitute” and then, I realized I could try out a meatloaf recipe that I had seen. This was my second jam and canning experiment and I’m happy with how it turned out. I had started it cooking in my dutch oven and ended up throwing it in the crockpot on low so that I could actually leave the house. I may have cooked it down a little more than I should have, oops. My meatloaf has an extra kick to it. Thanks!
I just finished a batch of this, and the flavor is fantastic. I decreased the sugar a little, and added a little chipotle for the smoky flavor, and I love it. However, I had to cook my jam a lot longer than an hour and a half for it to get thick and jammy, and I ended up with about 6 half pint jars. Maybe my tomatoes were just extra watery and needed more time to cook the water off (and therefore I got a lot less yield)? I used a combination of early girls and San Marzanos. I’m really happy with the tastes that I’ve had from the pot, though, and am already looking forward to using it with a nice sharp cheddar.
This is AWESOME! My tomatoes have bit the dust or rather the bugs have bit them and they are rotting on the vines, so will soon be chicken treats!
However, this sounded so good that I traveled yesterday to a couple roadside stands to get some tomatoes to use for it and the effort was well worth it. I’m going to have to see if I can find more to make for some gifts.
The idea of putting in the crockpot is wonderful and would let me go about my day w/o having to be on top of it.
For a person just starting out canning, this is delicious and easy! Thanks so much!
I made a batch of this yesterday and it was amazing! I found myself digging in with a spoon before it was even ready and then completely devouring the overrun jar within minutes of filling my jars. It’s amazing on crackers with some goat cheese and I mixed it into some couscous for lunch today to give it an extra kick. I definitely plan on making these again before the tomoatoe season ends this year.
Note: my mixture took about 2 hours to fully cook down to a ‘sticky mess’, this may have been because the tomatoes I used were not super soft just yet.
Thanks again for posting an amazing recipe!
I tried this Saturday — I didn’t quite get to jammy — more like a thick sauce — my bad, I’m quite sure. My yield was 6 – 8oz jelly jars. It’s a bit sweeter than I am used to, but will certainly use it on meatloaf and Panini sandwiches with a sharp cheese and meat. Oh yes, and probably with sweet potato fries. The flavors together are wonderful — can I adjust the sugar when I try again?
Sandi, I adjusted the sugar when I made it; I used about 2 1/2 cups of sugar, and though it took longer to get to jammy (about 2.5 hours, though part of that was that my stove was on really low for the first hour), the flavor was perfect. I made cheeseburgers last night to use some that didn’t get canned, and it was fantastic on those. I think I need to make more.
Oops, I’m way behind in my question answering.
Make My Day: This is definitely more jam than chutney. However, if you’re looking for a tomato chutney recipe, I’ll have one up later this week.
Naomi: As far as I know, there’s no easy way to determine just from looking how many tomatoes will make up a pound, because tomatoes vary so much in size.
Emily: It would be just fine to halve this recipe.
Pete: I didn’t measure volume as I chopped, so I don’t know what the volume was. Maybe 12-14 cups? If anyone else measured as they went, please let us know!
Another Marisa: I think you could use all romas without a problem. They were the tomato specified in the original recipe.
Kathleen: From what other people have said, a slow cooker should work just fine.
Arugulove: Huh, I don’t know why your batch made so much. You must have had some meaty tomatoes. It will keep a couple of months in the fridge.
Lelo: I hear you, I love making preserves with a specific use in mind.
Jasmine: Tomatoes do vary a great deal in water content, so that may be why it took so long to cook down and why your yield was so low.
Sandi: You can certainly cut the sugar. It will take longer to cook down with less sugar, though.
I googled the weight-to-volume issue and came up with 2.5-3 lbs to yield a quart of chopped, unseeded tomatoes. So, I went with 2 quarts, and my jam is simmering now!
Marissa, thank you for this recipe; it arrived at the same time as my 7 lbs of CSA tomatoes.
I have a couple of questions, since this is the first jam I’ve ever tried canning:
1. I processed it for too long – left it in there for 30 minutes, not 20. Does that cause problems?
2. Do I need to let it “age”, like pickles, for a couple of weeks before I open it? Or is it good to eat right away?
Thank you for your wonderful blog – I’ve made quick pickles before, but I started canning this summer, and you have been a big help. Keep up the good work!
Don’t worry about the overprocessing. It shouldn’t have done any harm. With more sensitive jams and jellies, overprocessing can cause a too-firm set but this one should be fine. Also, this jam does not need to age. You can eat it immediately.
This recipe is the greatest. I started out making one batch but ended up making 5 in total. It will replace ketchup for me and maybe even become a favorite for BBQing.
I have a glut of tomatillos and I am wondering how well they would work in this recipe? Any suggestions or tried and true recipes for tomatillos? I’m making multiple kinds of salsa verde and looking for something different.
Thanks!
Oh, this is quite different from what I make, neat! I adapted a basic recipe I saw all over the internets, adjusting to green/gold rather than red ingredients to compliment my Green Zebra tomatoes. The result is that we burn through jars too fast to give them away. It goes something like this:
1 pound-ish of green zebras, peeled but not de-seeded
4ish garlic cloves, peeled, minced fine
2 or 3 green serranos or jalepenos
Piece of ginger (larger than my thumb?) peeled and grated
1+ tbsp fish sauce (I know it smells funky when added. Shhh.)
10 oz or so sugar
1/2 cup or so cider vinegar
It cooks into a beautiful golden color, and is the best thing ever on toast beneath poached eggs for brunch on lazy weekend mornings.
[...] while she was on vacation, and came home with another pile of heirlooms. What to do with these? Tomato jam. And holy macaroni is that recipe ever AWESOME. The fresh ginger pairs with the tomato so well, and [...]
This smells AWESOME! It is currently simmering on the stove. I do have a quick question for you. Have you ever chopped the tomatoes in a food processor to make this? I was scared to try and end up with tomato mush, but boy, took me about an hour to finely chop 5 lbs of tomatoes! Hubby is really excited about the final product, so am I… Keep those great recipes coming
Love this jam! Made it yesterday and it turned out fantastic. Two questions though, your yield said 4 1/2 to 5 pints and I only got two and a half pints. Not sure why. I cooked it for 90 minutes and did the recipe exactly. Also, I used crushed red pepper. Is that the same as red chili flakes? I was also wondering about maybe substituting balsamic vinegar for the lime juice?
Can’t wait to try this with flank steak this week and I think it would be marvelous with meatloaf!
This recipe is perfect for the tomatoes I have left after cleaning out the garden. I have canned all the sauce, salsa, relish, and whole tomatoes I need. But, I have not made ketchup yet, thanks.
Love your site, Brenda
GREEN TOMATO JAM…Do you think this would work with Aunt Ruby’s German Green Tomatoes? (a ripe but still green colored type). I have an abundance of these this year!
Caroline: I think a food processor would make the tomatoes too broken down. I only roughly chop mine, so it takes me about 20 minutes to break down the five pounds.
Kate: Don’t replace the lime juice with balsamic vinegar. The lime is in there as much to make the acid levels safe as it is to add flavor. Balsamic has a difference acid level than lime juice, so you can’t swap them equally. I think you’d have to add an awful lot of balsamic to make it safe.
PattyM: I don’t see why you couldn’t try it with those German Green Tomatoes.
I have to say thank you for passing on this recipe! I definitely have designs on this being a great Christmas appetizer. Pour a jar of this over some goat cheese, serve with a little tigella, and it will be the perfect blend of Christmas, the South, California, Italy — a few of my favorite things! (You need to sing that last part.)
After seeing your tomato jam recipe, I happened to go to the store where the tomatoes were on sale for 69 cents/pound. It was meant to be…I bought a gigantic bag and cooked up a batch which is now residing in my freezer waiting for its moment to shine. Delicious!
I am amazed at how many tomato jam recipes there are! But I’m taking your word for it, and making this one. It looks incredible!
this is the second recipe i’ve tried from your site (the other was the apricot blackberry jam but i used peaches) and neither one of them have set up. argh! is it me? i simmered forever and kept using the plate test and it would not get to the gel stage. finally at midnight i said screw it and canned it anyways. it tastes great but it isn’t a jam.
Lizette, I’m really sorry to hear that you’re having trouble getting these jams to set. The thing to note with this jam is that you essentially just cook it down until enough water evaporates to make it sticky and thick. However, it never sets hard. It’s designed to be a fairly runny, spreadable thing. Happily, they’ll both taste good, even if they don’t have the consistency you’d like.
[...] at Food in Jars has an amazing recipe for tomato jam! What an unusual way to preserve those heirloom [...]
Marisa,
This jam is spectacular. I made a batch last week and, like another poster, ate the overrun jar that night. So I made another batch the next day in anticipation of a winter of jam-love. Thanks for printing this recipe. It’s a keeper, and I even wrote it down in my fav canning book!
jenn.
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! I had to cook it for about 2.5 hours to get a sticky mess — and it’s really sticky — but I think it’s fabulous. I added some freshly grated nutmeg and about a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and it turned out great — sweet, spicy, smoky and complex. The overrun jar I brought to the office disappeared in a day. Thank you!
[...] By Ashlea Thanks, Internet, and thanks, Food in Jars. My life has so very much been enriched because of this tomato jam. Who knew?! I was perusing the [...]
[...] at Food in Jars has an amazing recipe for tomato jam! What an unusual way to preserve those heirloom [...]
I have bought the tomatoes and can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to use it after it’s made!
[...] sauce, though, using the crock pot to cook the tomatoes overnight. I’m also planning to make tomato jam and canned diced tomatoes, if the tomatoes haven’t gone soft on [...]
I just made this today — but I think I blew it. I used fresh lime juice, not even thinking about using bottled. It does taste good
[...] sit right with me (apparently still doesn’t). However, I was tempted to try this one by Marisa’s great post, with pictures of a gorgeous, deep-maroon tomato jam and descriptions of the life-changing power of [...]
[...] can them. Speaking of which have you ever tried tomato jam? Sound weird? It’s [...]
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I preserved 100 lbs of tomatoes a few weeks ago and I included this method (gave you props on my blog too!). Can’t wait to explore all the ways to try this yummy condiment!
[...] of plum noir jam or a few pints of peaches in honey syrup, the excitement of something unknown like tomato jam or quite well known like your classic dill [green bean] pickle, it’s hard to pin [...]
[...] in the picture below, I brought bacon jam/butter/rilettes, Chinese plum sauce, sweet, savory, spicy tomato jam, quince jam and peaches in honey [...]
[...] to make: Blueberry Butter, Tomato Jam, Apple Butter, Canned whole tomatoes, Jameson Ginger Peach (maybe Jameson Ginger Cherry next [...]
Marisa – Hi, it’s Erin (the crazy person who sent you a gushing email a few months ago that you were kind enough to respond to…and not think I was crazy). Been reviewing the archives and just found this recipe. My grandmother told me a few years ago about her mother’s tomato jam – how to it was slightly spiced and both sweet and savory – they spread it on pancakes. I’ve been trying to replicate it…and this is the closest yet! Thanks for the recipe – you’re still my hero!
Thanks!
[...] highly preservation-friendly. Since I didn’t have tomato paste, I threw a few tablespoons of tomato jam from a jar just opened. Same thing with peppers – I didn’t have a fresh pepper so I [...]
[...] Jam Adapted from Food in Jars’ Tomato Jam 5 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped – seeds, skins and all! 2 cups dark brown sugar 1 cup pure [...]
[...] I decided to use those gorgeous tomatoes that I found last week to make Marisa’s spicy Tomato Jam. I’ve made quite a few recipes from Marisa’s fabulous blog Food In Jars in the past, [...]
I am a little late finding this recipe since it was posted last year, but I just had to write in and comment about how fantastic it is! I cooked it a little longer than it said to get the jammy consistency which I think was due to my tomatoes, but it tastes fabulous! I can’t wait to try it as a topping on meatloaf. I also think it would make a great barbecue type sauce for grilled chicken, and I may even give it a shot layered in a mold with goat cheese and pesto. Thanks for the great recipe.
[...] on this recipe on the amazing [...]
[...] I think it’s the tomato jam I posted last summer. That stuff is amazing. (Toque Tip! You can see the finished tomato jam in the photo, [...]
Beautiful jam and great way to use up the tomatoes from a great garden season once all of the salsa is made! Would be wonderful with Port Salut cheese and crackers – or with a pork tenderloin. Thanks for the recipe!
Just made the jam and then sauted up some scallops in garlic grapeseed oil popped them on a thinly sliced and lightly toasted baguette and put a small dollop of this fabulous jam on top… DELICIOUS! Everyone loved it, even those that thought Tomato Jam was weird sounding.
i have this simmering on my stove top right now. problem is – i’ve never canned before, and i don’t have any canning supplies on hand. it was sort of an impulse decision to make it at 9.30 on a tuesday night. i’m using tomatoes that i froze after last growing season. any input if i can just put the jam into freezer bags after it cools? going to cross my fingers and hope for the best. :-\ smells heavenly though!
Amy, you can certainly freeze the jam once it has cooled. You could also pour it off into a large container, refrigerate it and then bring it back up to temperature once you’ve gotten the jars for canning.
I just made this, but I got about 1/2 the jam the recipe says. The jars in the pictures are 1/2 pt, so maybe thats why? great tasting!!
Just made this and it is fantastic!! I love not having to skin and seed the tomatoes first and the texture is better than just plain tomato jam. Thanks for a great recipe!
[...] tomato jam came into the picture. I was perusing the fabulous Food in Jars, and I came across her version of this tasty treat. I was intrigued by the idea of a sweet/savory ketchup alternative. I knew [...]
i know this is an older post–but it is fresh to me! i am making tomato jam as we speak–cannot WAIT to try it! thank you so much
just as a follow up–AMAZING results. tomato jam is by far my favorite thing to can so far. completely worth the effort. i feel like this is something i cannot readily get at a store and i am proud to say that it cam straight from my garden. cannot thank you enough!
[...] another one that I’ve mentioned in the past. Tomato jam. I loved how these little grape tomatoes worked in this recipe. The seeds are a bit smaller, which [...]
If I do half pints, do I still need to process 20 minutes or a shorter time?
Thanks- I am new to canning!
I’m wondering the exact same thing!
Nope, you never reduce processing time for smaller jars, you only increase it for larger jar.
[...] let go to waste on the overburdened kitchen table. So, I bring you Bourbon Tomato Jam inspired by Food in Jars with a twist of White on Rice. I’m quirky like [...]
Awesome!!! Had an assortment of garden fresh tomatoes and cherry tomatoes that I used for this recipe. Just finished taking the last jars out of the water bath. Love hearing those pops! This will definitely be a fall canning staple for me. Reminds me a little of my Grandma’s chili sauce recipe and so easy with leaving on the skins. Thanks for another great recipe!!!
second batch of tomato jam–i used romas and got 5 whole jars instead of 4.5 like last time. made it a little spicer as well. this is such a great recipe and i will continue to spread the word about tomato jam amazing-ness.
Well, it took over a year, but I finally got around to making this with some garden fresh tomatoes (a combo of Brandywine and Golden Jubilee). It took over 3 1/2 hours to reduce to a jam consistency, and ended up making 5 half pint jars. Saved just enough to have some on crackers with goat cheese. Really good, thanks for posting this!
Eileen
[...] lest you think I’ve completely abandoned all cooking, I wanted to pass along these recipes for tomato jam and peach jam, which I made with a large batch of farmer’s market and Greenling produce. I may [...]
I love this!!! I added chipoltes in abode that I had processed in a food processor and cut back a little on the sugar. This is awesome on a turkey or ham sandwich!! Thanks for posting this recipe!!
[...] of this season’s first ripe tomatoes from the local farmer’s market, I decided to give this recipe for tomato jam a [...]
Batch 1 didn’t even get labeled and put away. Batch 2 is in the slow cooker. Plans for batch 3 are underway. All I can say is this stuff lives up to the hype!
3.5 hours on the stove later… my tomato jam is ALMOST reduced enough. If I had know it would be such an undertaking, I would have started earlier! Can’t wait to taste it, I bought some goat cheese to put it on crackers with!
I’ve made 2 batches of this tomato jam…….the first had a smaller yield, but I guess it’s because I kept tasting it!!! The second got 5 half-pints……and all with tomatoes from my garden and peppers from my garden too. This is the first garden I’ve had in 30 years and I’m so happy, I could squeal! My ex’s elderly aunt mentioned making tomato jam, and, while I’d never had any, I remembered canning tons of tomatoes back in the day and really wanted something that would use lots of tomatoes….so, I scrounged around until I settled on this recipe……WOW! am I glad that I did…….it’s awesome! My second thought was, what would I use it on……never mind, I’ll use it on everything….the first thing I tried was meatloaf in lieu of the glaze, then biscuits, then just on toast, and it’s great just for a nibble when you want that ‘taste’ in your mouth. Thanks so much for a great recipe and guess what I’m giving for Christmas gifts!!!!
Too many people haven’t tried Tomato Jam and I’m going to fix that for at least a dozen people!
My first canning experience and I used grape tomatoes. It turned out beautifully. I think I caught the bug. DH is bringing home a flat of strawberries tomorrow and my sister-in-law is getting me a lug of peaches. Yay! Thanks for the recipe, this one’s a keeper.
[...] Adapted from Food In Jars [...]
Hi Marisa,
Just bought tomatoes today to prepare for a tomato jam in my tiny kitchen this evening…however, I am unclear if the lime called for in the recipe is fresh lime juice or bottled/jarred lime juice? I have seen debates on several canning blogs on fresh vs. bottled citrus, and I certainly do not want to compromise my tomatoes. Thank you!
For this recipe, it’s acceptable to use either fresh or bottled lime juice. When you acidify plain tomatoes for canning, you always want to use bottled, but in this case either works.
Can we substitute lemon juice for lime juice? I have bottled lemon juice on hand, but no fresh/bottled lime juice.
Yes.
Wow, this is unbelievably good. My favorite thing I’ve canned thus far!
[...] Jam (yes, THAT tomato [...]
I think I’ll try this with the scads of cherry tomatoes I have.
I am making this for the third time this weekend! This recipe rocks. I brought it to a party last night and it disappeared. I am making it for Christmas gifts this year.
I just found this recipe and I wish I had seen it earlier today..I just got through pushing 6 pounds cooked of tomatoes through a sieve and I am now reducing the pulp from 6 cups to 3 cups….sigh..and I have to say it doesn’t look like pulp, it looks lile tomato sauce… I will definitely try this one next time!
I just made a batch of this and it is so good. I’ve been loving all the comments about what to use it on, but to be honest, I can’t wait to eat it with bread and butter. Thanks for a great recipe!
[...] –(Link to original recipe from Food in Jars – http://www.foodinjars.com) [...]
Made a 3lb batch last weekend and have decided a good portion of the CSA preserving tomatoes we get next week are getting the same treatment. Delicious!! I did notice when it came to the chili flakes I cut the amount in half after cutting back for the small batch and it was still a little warm for my wife (perfect for me). We decided the next batch will be a full 5lbs with the reduced amount of chili flakes. Thanks for a great recipe!
[...] found a lot of interesting recipes I might like to try , but this recipe for Tomato Jam from one of my favorite blogs Food in Jars sounded the [...]
I have this jam simmering in my kitchen right now. It smells soo good! It will take longer to cook down here because of the elevation, but that is not a problem at all..it just means I get to smell this lovely jam a bit longer.
I left a comment a few days ago about my 1st tomato jam. I hate it so much that I am actually considering just opening the jars & dumping it out…no flavor and no texture.
Your tomato jam recipe reminds me of the tomato jam my Gramma used to make. I used to eat that on everything! Thank you for sharing the recipe and thank you for bringing back happy memories of my Gramma, “Lolla”.
Ok, its done..sorry to be commenting all the time..LOL…it is wonderful!
It took 2.5 hours to reduce, but I only got two pint jars and a half of a half pint jar….did I do something wrong maybe?
Its not runny or saucy at all…I can hold the half filled 1/2 pint jar upside down and it doesn’t move….since I am new at this..is that ok?
Karyn, the yield on this jam can vary a great deal depending on the tomatoes you use, the width of your pan and the amount of time you cook it. It sounds like you cooked it a lot more than I did, which is fine. What’s more, when I cooked it this year, I only wound up with 3 pints. So even my yield varies!
Thank you, Marisa. I was so worried about it not being thick enough (like the 1st recipe I tried) that I went went too far in the other direction. LOL
The taste is so good! Next time I will trust myself to stop a bit before the cement stage. Its all good though!
I made this today. I was very diligent about measuring my tomatoes. I measured them on the kitchen scale, diced, not as whole tomatoes. 10 pounds of diced tomatoes yielded 21 HALF pints plus a wee bit in the pan for tasting. It took me 5 hours to cook this down to the “just right” consistency which i didn’t mind at all because this smells absolutely divine while it is cooking. Thank you so much!
Oh, I used a combination of organic field tomatoes and organic paste tomatoes.
yikes! sorry. canning late at night. i meant 22 4OZ jars! not half pints. huge difference.
Just made a batch, and it is delicious!
I also got 5 half-pints (vs. the 4-1/2 – 5 pints). Hmm.
This tomato jam is wonderful – it tastes like what my grandmother used to can in South Georgia. I am going to the farmer’s market and get more tomatoes today. I cooked it on low so I did not have to stay in the kitchen with it and it took 3-4 hours. I actually put it in the refrigerator overnight and finished it this morning. I used 6 lbs of large tomatoes and got 3 half pints and 4 – 4oz jars. I put some in the small jars to use for an appetizer or to give to tomato jam doubters. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and advice.
[...] got around to making homemade tomato jam, and I think we are in love. I can’t recommend this recipe from Food in Jars enough. Sticky, sweet tomato goodness with a hint of cinnamon and clove. It takes an hour + a half [...]
[...] Adapted, barely, from Food in Jars [...]
This is my second year making this tomato jam. We love it. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve got my first batch cooking away right now. I took a spoonful to taste – Wow; great stuff. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Just canned my first batch….WOW! This stuff is REALLY delightful! I ended up with six half-pint jars exactly. I intend to make more tomorrow; 4 oz. jars for holiday gifts! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
[...] was certainly inspired to this jam by Marisa at Food In Jars. I had just enough tomatoes on hand, 5 lbs, to give this a try. I have been called a food snob. I [...]
[...] Tomato Jam via the New York Times and Food in Jars [...]
This was far too sweet for my taste, next time I would cut sugar down considerably. Depending on your penchant for spice, I’d tread cautiously with the full tb of pepper flakes. I added Spanish smoked paprika for more savory flavor, the cloves were a bit too strong for me as well. Overall with some adjustments for my taste, this is good. I canned in the smaller jam sized jars.
[...] Another incarnation of Amy’s Tomato Jam. Love the OX cheese, Krista and [...]
So excited, I made this tonight and the flavor is amazing! In Portland, Or out tomatoes are just now in full swing. I am pretty new to canning. I decreased the water bath time because I used 4 oz jars. This was based on somethings I read on other websites as well as food in jars. The jars sealed, do you think they are safe to store?
Love your website!!!!
Alisa, the rule of thumb is that you don’t reduce the processing time for small jars, you only increase it for larger jars. It takes 10 minutes in a boiling water bath for something to become sterile, and if you didn’t start with sterilized jars, you’ve got to give them that 10 minutes to ensure that any microorganisms are killed. However, if your jars were boiled for at least ten minutes before you filled them, you should be fine.
Somebody asked me on fb if I had a recipe for tomato jam (I posted on my wall that I was not yet done canning tomatoes. Of course, I did not, but the Q triggered me to search for several. I chose to try this recipe. I was able to make 7 half-pint jars from this recipe. While the taste was not what I expected, it definitely was very good, albeit a bit too salty for me, but then if I will use this for something like a glaze for ham or a roast beef, maybe it will be just fine.
I probably will make some more tomorrow and use more sugar, less salt. Then I can imagine using it on crackers with some cream cheese.
New to canning, Uh-Oh???
I have a batch of tomato jam simmering on the stove as I type, but now I’m wondering whether I’m in trouble… or not…
I used 5 lbs of chopped tomatoes. These are heirlooms*, subjected to a dry summer followed by drenching from (2) tropical storms, so I removed a good deal of cracking and scarring. Is the 5 lbs called for in your recipe before or after prep? If before, is my 5 lb batch now too low on acid to be safe and shelf stable?
(*Using Aunt Ruby’s German Green, may not be pretty but they’re what’s in my garden right now and I’m thinking they’ll give a nice ‘smokey’ nuance to the jam.)
Hello main blog person!
I just found this recipe and am going to try it… I had a question, though, about the amount of sugar called for. that seems like a lot! I never use that much sugar in any of my other jam recipes. How sweet is the tomato jam and have you tried using less sugar or pectin? Thanks!
-mothling.
I have not made this jam with less sugar than the recipe calls for. Because this jam doesn’t have any additional pectin, it needs the presence of the sugar to help it set. For more information about reducing sugar, read this post: http://www.foodinjars.com/2010/12/canning-101-how-to-can-creatively-and-still-be-safe/
[...] made: plain tomatoes, tomato sauce (both canned with lemon juice), tomato and tomatillo salsas, tomato jam, pear-vanilla jam, and roasted corn-zucchini salsa (recipe here, I agree with the comments about it [...]
i’m on hour 3 of simmering this jam (eeps!). i used around 5 pounds of brandywine heirlooms. should i bring the whole thing to a hard boil again or just let it simmer forever until it looks all jammy?
Kyna, I’m afraid I’m replying too late to be helpful. But essentially, the trick with this jam is just to cook the liquid out. So whether you do it at a hard boil or a slow simmer, the end effect should be the same.
Finally, finally made this stuff. It never “jammed” up for me though. I let it sit for 24 hours in a crock pot and it was still kind of runny. It did turn into a lovely dark red and still had fantastic flavor. I put it in my Vitamix and pureed it. So now I have a wonderful, unique BBQ sauce that will still make great Christmas gifts. I really wanted the jam but I guess I can mix some sauce into whipped cream cheese and make a yummy spread? Thanks, Marisa.
Sorry to hear that it didn’t jam for you! Mixing it into cream cheese sounds delicious!
Just finished canning a batch of this! Heavenly! We got 4.5 half pints, FYI.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was just what I needed to use up the final few tomatoes from this year’s garden – these were small little guys, and I wasn’t looking forward to trying to peel and seed them. It took several hours to reduce down to jam consistency, and my yield was 5 half pints. The taste is amazing, and this will become a regular in my canning repertoire!
A hint? We took the lid off of our crock pot and let it simmer and have a bit of the fluid evaporated and we got a very thick product. Amazing what the stick blender does for it!
I have to update my above comment. I tasted this again after it has cooled off the next morning, and the result was SUPERB! I served it during supper that day, and my husband, who is not a fan of tomatoes (raw or cooked), loved it, even plain. I also asked my SIL to taste it and see if she can market it. She never liked cooked tomatoes until she tried this tomato jam, and yes she thinks she can market it (she supplies the small stores in this area). So, thanks a bunch for this recipe!
[...] Tomato Jam from Food in Jars We canned our usual tomato sauce, pizza sauce, salsa, and diced tomatoes with the bounty from our garden, but I wanted to try something really different…tomato jam. It’s delicious! I keep thinking of ways we can use this: on burger, as a glaze on chicken or pork, over cream cheese as an appetizer, etc. It’s got great tomato flavor and a nice kick from the hot pepper flakes. [...]
[...] mais je les cuit déjà si souvent que… bof. La cinquième option? La confiture aux tomates (ici, en anglais), une concoction épicée à essayer (nous dit l’auteure) avec un fromage à pâte molle ou [...]
Marisa- I just made this and it is absolutely the best thing I have ever canned. I want to just go at it with a spoon. And the color is amazing!
I’ve made two batches of this jam, and it is really good. On the second batch, cut the sugar by 1/2 cup, and only used 1/2 tsp. chili flakes. Took longer to cook down, about two hours, but the flavor is still great. The tomato mix was about 1/2 Romas, and 1/2 heirlooms, and some from my friends garden that looked like cherry tomatoes on steroids. Will do this again next year. Thanks so much for the great recipes you give us!
3.5 pints in the canner! This stuff is awesome! A tad on the sweet side, and plenty of heat.
Thank you for the great recipe!!!!!
[...] Tomato Jam you say? Not quite sure? Oh my goodness. Do it. This is a new one for me this year and is perhaps the tastiest thing I’ve ever canned. And the color of the finished product is stunning. Somehow it looks like rubies. It is so good I made a second batch tonight. Marisa at Food in Jars might just have changed my life with this one. simmering down [...]
[...] Food in Jars Tomato Jam [...]
This is excellent! And much easier than tomato sauce or ketchup, since the peels and seeds stay in. I’m glad you cross-referenced the recipe in your tomato post this year, since I’d missed it the first time around. I cut the sugar down to 2 cups (used brown sugar for a deeper flavor), and it was nice and jammy after about an hour. Made 6 half-pints. Thanks for a great addition to my tomato canning season.
Just made this tonight. Started with 5 lbs of very ripe cherry toms that I just cut in half. It took about 2 hours to cook down to 3 pints. As someone else said, the color is fabulous. Taste is like an incredibly rich ketchup. I used lemon instead of limes since there’s a ready source of lemons in the neighborhood.
[...] recipe from Food in Jars [...]
Finally got into the tomato jam I’d made about a month ago, and it is AMAZING! May never eat a turkey sandwich without it ever again – thanks so much for sharing this fabulous recipe! Yum, yum, yum.
[...] I made up a batch of Tomato Jam. This stuff is delicious! I use it on pork roast, pork chops, chicken, or burgers. It’s like [...]
[...] Anyway, this recipe looked yumm-o. And the write up says it goes really good with stinky cheese…how can you turn that down. [...]
[...] out this recipe for tomato jam, found on foodinjars.com! She has a nice simple post in addition to the recipe. I have another glut [...]
[...] Marisa’s recipe below is nearly identical to the Mark Bittman recipe I first used. I don’t think you could go wrong with either one but since I’ve already posted about the Bittman one, I’ll give Food In Jars’ version a try. As canning projects go, this one is easy. [...]
I had a couple pounds of tomatos gifted to me this week, so decided to try your tomato jam recipe. Yum, it really is life changing!!! Awesome by itself, even better with a little crumble on blue cheese on a water cracker!
This recipe was amazing. Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
I was asked to pick my friend’s tomatoes while she was gone. The first picking I basically just ran around giving them all away. The next batch I decided to roast in the oven ( olive oil, dried basil, onions, sea salt and pepper) and we have been eating it as spaghetti sauce….and I made tomato soup from part of it. I had already made two sheet trays which made 8 cups of sauce. Yesterday most of the remaining tomatoes seemed to have reddened up ready to work with. I put them in the oven to roast and then found your recipe for jam, and decided to give it a try as I didn’t want to go through the whole deskinning, and ricing to get out the seeds. It was late, but I just added in some things. I rarely follow recipes, but use them as an inspiration. I didn’t have lime juice but found some sour orange in a bottle. I have no idea why I have that, but I used that, and a little lemon juice, some cinnamon, and the minced ginger ( which is weird , it was the first time I had ever bought a stub of ginger and had not used it and didn’t have a plan for it. I had been at the store and thought “why have I never bought fresh ginger?” ) Anyway, I added in brown sugar and some white sugar. Then I just mixed it up and stuck it in the frig. This morning I melted some cheese toast on homemade bread in the skillet with some olive oil…and then dumped some of this mix on it. Heavenly. I was a little worried about the onions and basil but they are a great addition. Just makes it a little savory. I think I will just go and dump it in the crockpot and let it cook down and see if I can find some jars. I don’t think it will make very much. I will probably just put it in the frig or maybe even just freeze a little jar…Now I am pretty excited to go pick my friend’s tomatoes one more time before she gets back! I will make sure to give her a little jar too!
Do you think it would matter if I diced up the green tomatoes and just added them in as well? There were a few that I could tell were just going to totally split open before they ripened on the vine. I have been making fried green tomatoes with them.
Linda, the concoction you made sounds delicious, but since you didn’t add the lime juice (necessary acid) and added onions, it’s probably not safe for canning. When it comes to canning, it is important to follow recipes.
[...] adore it. I took/cut/pasted and slightly adopted the recipe from Food in Jars, decreasing the pepper flakes just a hint. I am impatiently waiting for another [...]
I just want to say that I made this a couple of months ago and I am going to have to make more already. It is so good, especially on fish. I just hope I get enough tomatoes from the garden before the season ends! Great on sandwiches, too. I know I should make ketchup for my son instead, but heck, he’s only 8. He’ll be fine with Trader Joe’s. ;D
This tomato jam is THE BOMB. I made two batches before the local tomatoes went out of season and I fear I don’t have enough put up to last through the winter. This jam makes me smile; will give some as Christmas gifts, but not too many. Thanks so much for this great recipe and a fabulous blog.
Marisa,
Just found your site…yum! This is the first year I’ve really gotten serious about preserving food. I can tell I’ll be visiting here often…wonderful!
I’m getting 75 pounds of Romas on Saturday and plan to turn some of them into this jam recipe. I’m thinking it would be a delicious filling for a baked brie for the holidays.
Thanks for the terrific ideas!
Best,
Michelle
Quick update on the jam. Forgot to pick up some fresh ginger so I substituted with pickled ginger I had on hand. I think it’s a winner…but, will know for sure in an hour or so. Smells delicious!
Thanks again for sharing.
Have this on the stove right now- tastes amazing!
Whoo….that’s ‘picy! Great recipe
Seriously…WOW! I am processing this delicious recipe right now. I did add a hint of allspice to the mix instead of the ginger and used lemon juice instead of the lime (simply because I didn’t have any ginger or lime juice in the house). And I can’t get enough. Can’t wait to open it up for leftover turkey sandwiches this weekend. Yum. Thank you for sharing.
This is amazing on sourdough with leftover turkey and gorgonzola!!
[...] cured meats were Italian, it only made sense to try some mostarda and my new favorite condiment, Tomato Jam from foodinjars.com. This stuff is addictive and oh, oh, oh so delicious! Everyone’s first [...]
Making this Tomato Jam a second time. First batch was awesome and almost gone so in the midst of setting up for the next batch. Thanks so much for the recipe. Yummmm
[...] Tomato Jam recipe on my site is quite beloved by my readers. I make it every year and eat it weekly alongside roasted [...]
I have been making tomato jam for a few years. As with most jams, results are variable according to the type of fruit used and–sometimes important to success–its ripeness. That perfectly ripe or overripe fruit of any variety sometimes fails to gel because the pectin is too low. I usually try to use about 25% underripe fruit and that usually insures gelling and decreases the cooking time which also helps preserve that fresh flavor. So, try to think about making your jam early in the season when pectin content is higher even though it’s tempting to use up late season fruit by making jam. (Not that it won’t work with late season…I’m just sayin’.)
I enjoy Tomato Jam made with cherry tomatoes–just cut each one in half rather than chopping and proceed with the recipe. A few underripe ones will help with gelling, as will addition of the lime juice called for in the recipe. Cherry tomatoes are usually very juicy, not like the plum types, and so may take a bit longer cooking. Their skins provide a chew that I really enjoy. I like to add a few very thin slices of lime in addition to the juice.
Seasonings: To me, the salt and the pepper flakes detract from the sweet jammy impression that I love. Suit yourself (as I know you will). I like to use a spice bag with whole cloves and stick cinnamon, which gives a beautiful clarity to the jam. Also try using orange juice plus rind/slices for a different flavor. If you have those short (1″) cinnamon sticks, put one in each jar for flavor and loveliness–nice for gifting.
Can’t believe you’re still with me here! Thanks for reading….
This is the best tomato jam I have had – spicey and sweet! Thank you again for your recipes, I am really enjoying your site!
[...] Tomato Jam via the New York Times and Food in Jars [...]