Tomato Jam
- Total Time
- About 1 hour, plus macerating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 cups (about 2 8-ounce jars)
- 4pounds/1.8 kilograms medium red or green tomatoes (do not use heirloom), cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
- 1tablespoon white distilled vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- Add-ins (optional, see note)
Preparation
- Step 1
Toss tomatoes, sugar and salt together in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Let sit at least 15 minutes or up to overnight, tossing to coat periodically to dissolve the sugar. (This helps coax the juices out of the tomatoes.)
- Step 2
Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill. (You’ll use this later.)
- Step 3
Add the vinegar to the tomatoes, and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat until the skins burst and the juices start to boil, about 10 minutes. Add in any of the optional ingredients (see note), if using.
- Step 4
Increase the heat to medium–high, and cook the jam. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the jam, occasionally at first and more frequently as the juices thicken. Do this until most of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes have begun to break down, and the mixture resembles a very thick, shiny tomato sauce, 35 to 45 minutes. This is the stage at which it’s most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking. (Sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate at the bottom of the pot, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn.) How much the tomatoes break down will depend on their type and how ripe they are: For example, firm green tomatoes are likely to remain chunky, while ripe red tomatoes will break down almost entirely.
- Step 5
To test for thickness, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it’s not there yet, continue to cook a few minutes more.
- Step 6
Remove from heat and discard the chiles de árbol, if using. Divide the jam between jars, leaving ¼ inch of head space, and seal immediately. Can the jams (see our How to Make Jam guide for more instruction), or store in the refrigerator, using them up within a couple of weeks.
Tip
- To add flavor to your tomato jam, add any or all of these ingredients in Step 3: 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 whole chiles de árbol or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; or 1 tablespoon chopped thyme leaves.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
FRITZ
You may want to consider adding lemon juice. Many tomato varieties today are not as acidic as tomatoes used to be. USDA considers them borderline in ph between acidic and low-acid foods and recommends addition of an acid for safe hot water bath canning as an acidic food.
https://www.extension.umn.edu/food/food-safety/preserving/tomatoes-salsa...
Another great source:
http://foodinjars.com/2013/09/canning-101-acid-and-ph-in-boiling-water-b...
Peggy Carey
I have found that leaving fruit in sugar overnight makes it tough. Sugar is a preservative after all. If you want to juice the fruit more quickly, you can put it on a super low burner, or in a warming oven and achieve the same result.
Joe
I have a fig tree and have made a tomato fig jam that is delicious on grilled meat or to put a bit on grilled cheese. Just add a couple of figs, any proportion until about 50/50 is terrific.
FRITZ
Most jam will set at about 220 F. Also when you drag your spoon/spatula through the mixture, it shouldn't quickly rush in to fill in that stretch of space you created.
Hana Viljoen
Tomato jam is quite well known in South Africa and is available on every shelf of jams in every supermarket. A piece or two of dried ginger is usually added with the fruit right at the start of the cooking process. Ideal to cook in a microwave oven on HIGH for at least 20 minutes; test, and continue cooking in 3 minute intervals until ready. I always always add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice at the start.
slevy
I just made this recipe and it came out great! I did add 1/2 tsp. of cumin, and less than a 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon, only 3/4 C. of sugar. It did take about an hour for the liquid to evaporate. Delicious!
Mel S.
The corrected recipe is still not shelf stable if you use the suggested red wine vinegar. You'll need 5% (distilled or apple cider), bottled lemon juice or citric acid to ensure shelf stability. Please reference the National Center for Home Food Preservation or another reliable source in the future. This recipe series is a missed opportunity to educate the public in safe home food preservation.
Charles
Made this recipe with green San Marzano tomatoes that I had to pick before the frost. I followed suggestions and from my garden added fresh thyme and garlic. Also locally grown Piment d'Ville, a warm-not-hot pepper. Heavenly. Can't wait to have a burger with this as condiment! I would suggest, when using green paste tomatoes, cutting the pieces 1/2-inch and no larger, to avoid large chunks in the jam.
Seattle Dawn
I used a mix of tomatoes, mostly yellow cherry tomatoes along with some red cherry tomatoes and then some regular red tomatoes, however not Romas. Because I had so many skins I decided to put the cooked but not yet cooked down mash through the Victoria strainer which took out the peels in seeds. I added 2T extra vinegar and the juice of one lemon and chose to add 1/4 t pepper flakes. The yield was 3 half-pint jars and on tasting got a smooth jam with a little heat.
Bill
This is a little too much like catsup for my palate.
Alanna
Sweeter then I expected, but once I tried it on a cracker with some brie, I was convinced. Very tasty.
Julia
I am making this now and at 1:15 hours it has cooked down, but still very thin. I think it will need at least 2 hours. Any idea why??
Mary
I've been making tomato jam for many years, but my old recipe calls for lemon zest (grated or chopped) and lemon juice rather than vinegar. Delicious!
Linda
My mother and grandmother grew little yellow grape tomatoes just for canning tomato preserves. (By preserves, I mean cooked in such a way that the tomatoes remain intact.) In addition to sugar, they added a some whole spices such as cloves, allspice, and possibly a cinnamon stick; maybe also some lemon and pectin. Delicious and very pretty! The yellow grape tomatoes seemed to have a fruitier flavor and didn't end up opaque like red tomatoes.
maggie
I added three sauteed red onions to the jam and four tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. It made double the amount and I did water bath can it. The jars are all sealed and seem fine. Should I also refrigerate or freeze just to be safe?
Carina
This seems to have significantly less acid than other tomato jam recipes safe for water bath canning— has anyone canned this successfully?
Alice Kaiser
When you make this, you need to pay attention to the 'jam moment', when the magic happens with the sugars and the mass becomes translucent and thick. Once you see it, you will recognize it.
MTM
Way too sweet. I'll consider halving the sugar next time.
Alice Kaiser
Why not heirloom tomatoes?? Thye are likely to be both more acidic and more flavorful.
NYCSandi
This is a delicious alternative to ketchup. I store the jam in the refrigerator to avoid using vinegar.
slevy
I just made this recipe and it came out great! I did add 1/2 tsp. of cumin, and less than a 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon, only 3/4 C. of sugar. It did take about an hour for the liquid to evaporate. Delicious!
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