“Tomatoes. Somebody’s gotta take ’em. I hate ’em! I try not
to eat healthy food if I can possibly help it.” -Ouiser, Steel Magnolias
Tomato what? Right. So let’s get this out of the way right off the bat. I know that tomato jam may sound a bit, well… off. Stick with me, though! (see what I did there??) Tomatoes are certainly a staple in many meals here in the South. Fried green tomatoes, tomato soup and grilled cheese, tomatoes and okra, BLTs. You get my drift. Anything that you make around here can be bumped up to be just a bit better with the addition of some sort of tomato. That being said, there are few sweet tomato dishes that come to mind.
The idea of biting into a plain tomato may not be the most exciting proposal, but when you break it down and mix it with some of your favorite spices and herbs it it a totally different story. Can you imagine eating plain pasta without any sauce at all? Meh. While tomatoes are normally best paired with Italian lovers, such as basil and thyme for a lovely sauce, it also pairs amazingly well with sweeter ingredients like sugar and honey.
Before we get too much further into the recipe details, let’s discuss this whole jam thing. What’s a jam and what’s a jelly?, you probably find yourself mumbling as you fall asleep at night. Botanically speaking, a jelly is based with fruit juices– no seeds or pulp. A jam would be the opposite, containing seeds and/or pulp. Since we all know that a tomato is technically a fruit and not a vegetable (should we petition for an aisle change in the grocery?!), and we know that they certainly have seeds, of which we will be leaving in our concoction, we will call this a jam! <the more you know>
[informal v. : /jāmmin'/ the act of making jams in the kitchen by a food/cooking addict]
Hand-in-hand with jammin’ is the often dreaded canning. I can remember growing up watching my mom can just about anything that you could push into one of those lovely Ball brand jars. I was never allowed very close, which always upset me. I wanted to see what all of the hoopla was about. How did those green beans that you made me sit and string end up in a jar that would apparently last for 30 years and a nuclear war??
I can now say that I know (sorta) how it all works. Canning this sweet tomato jam was the very first time that I have canned something (successfully, at that!). Because I was running a tiny operation here, I didn’t go out and get a massive canning pot/rack/etc. I just tossed an old kitchen towel in the bottom of a large stock pot and followed some simple instructions to sterilize and seal the goods. Worked like a charm! …or the little pop-top lids went down. That’s something, right? Please feel free to comment and let me know what your best canning tips are! I have a feeling you all will see me going through a ‘can everything’ phase in the near future. Old tater tots? Sure. I’ll can ’em!
I get so distracted sometimes. Ohhh. Look at those pretty colors in that picture! I mean… Back to our jam. I’m not sure how to describe the taste of this finished product. With the spices I used, it almost reminds me of a jam that a little sweet older lady would give you at church around Thanksgiving or Christmas. You know… a bit of warm spices that make you feel like it’s almost not -10 degrees outside. Clove, cinnamon, cumin. All of the comforting ones are included. The spices are perfectly balanced with the acidity and sweetness of the tomato/sugar blend.
To add a second depth of sweetness, I added some local honey that I grabbed from the Nashville Farmer’s Market. So good! It really helps balance everything out. Support your local markets and community. It will make everything taste sweeter!
I tried it on some little toast points made from a leftover bun that I had previously made for our Best {burger} Buns in Town post. I couldn’t have been happier about the result! It is a perfect companion to any savory or salty dish, giving it that touch of warmth and sweetness that it may need to take it over the edge.
Not sure when it has reached jam stage? Aim for a final temp. of 220 F or use the plate test! Freeze a plate when making the jam, place a bit of the cooked jam on it, let it sit for a minute and tilt. It should all move together like, well, jam! Works like a charm.
- 2 lbs tomatoes, any variety by preference
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup local honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 and ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed jalapeños, (more for preference)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch ground clove
- Core and chop tomatoes. Place in large stockpot.
- Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- When it reaches boil, lower to low/medium-low and simmer for 1 & ½ - 2 hours.
- To test jam thickness, place a teaspoon of so of mixture on a frozen plate. Let sit for a minute or so and the turn plate on side. If mixture falls all together like gelatin, it is finished.
- If using a thermometer, aim for a final temperature of 220 F for sugar to set properly.
- Pour into jars or can appropriately for longer storage.
- Visit SouthernFATTY.com to comment and view other recipe posts!
What jam flavors are your favorite to make? Comment below and let us know!
Made this recipe three times.The first time turned out really nice and thick, the next two times not so much but still very yummy. What am I doing wrong? Also can I add pectin?
My guess is that the different batches of tomatoes had differing water content and natural pectin. You certainly can add pectin if you think it needs it.
-Phillip
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I’ve made this several times. The first it came out nice and thick. The other two Times not so much but still so yummy, what am I doing wrong? Could I add pectin to thicken?
My guess is that the different batches of tomatoes had differing water content and natural pectin. You certainly can add pectin if you think it needs it.
-Phillip
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pINEAPPLE
I just made some of the tomato jam. I made one batch with lemon juice and one with lime juice. Personally I prefer the lime. The cumin was great in here. I also added 1/4 tsp smoked paprika. Here is my tip. After much researching, it is important not to change the amount of acid when you are canning. Even though I am using heirloom tomatoes, the acidity level varies. So bottled lime or lemon with 5% acidity. (yes it is on the jar!)
My tip is, just as you skim off the foam on jelly to keep it jewel like, do that here. I helps to remove some of the water and seeds and the cooking time is slightly reduced.
I love this recipe, and thank you for sharing. I will be checking out your website, it looks fantastic.
Lime sounds great with this! Great tips. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Just came across this and I’m all in on this sweet tomato jam idea…yum! However, I was wondering if I could jar and freeze vs. old fashioned canning? (We canned so. much. salsa. this weekend, I don’t wanna bust out the canning supplies again!) Thanks for sharing!
You shoooo can freeze it. Just take a couple precautions when you do. Be sure to leave some room for it to expand; use freezer-safe jars; thaw it easily so the temperature change doesn’t cause the glass to break. I do this and throw it in the fridge the night before I want to use it. Cheers!
Sweet! Thanks for the tips (and this delish recipe)
My sister likes to cook different jam recipes. I will share it with her. Thanks for sharing.
Enjoy!
Wow, Phillip. What a great sweet tomato jam. I already used the given steps to make this sweet jam. All my family members liked this jam. Thanks for sharing.
So glad they enjoyed it!
This is the tomato jam I have made for years my mom used to make it but we didn’t put cumin in it, but used lemon juice n sure he’ll to thicken it n didn’t have to cook it so long it always turned out really good
It’s great!
Question: Can I make it without any of the spices and just sugar for regular old jam on toast? Would I need more sugar?
I don’t see why not. Will just be a lighter flavor, I think. If you are excluding the honey, you will probably need to replace it with more sugar. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you very much! I’ve been looking for my old recipe, but can’t find it. This one sounds very close.
Thanks for the like on Instagram! I’m loving your blog!
Thank you, Michelle!
You gotta try this with mangoes— amazing and will disappear faster than you can another batch!
I’m not a huge mango fan… But, I didn’t expect to like this as much as I do. I might actually like it! I’ll give it a try.
Thanks!
Tried it with mango. Pretty good, even for someone that doesn’t normally like it! Thanks for the tip 🙂