What Does Tomato Jam Taste Like?
Tomato jam isn’t as sweet as traditional jam, as tomatoes are naturally high in pectin and require less sugar for thickening. Most tomato jam recipes lean savory, with warm spices like ginger and pepper added to make the jam more robust. The result is sweet and savory, with a thick jam-like texture with big pieces of the tomato throughout. That’s exactly what you’ll find here.
How To Make Tomato Jam
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (from 1-inch knob)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a Dutch oven. Place the tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, ginger, salt, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Simmer the jam until thickened, about 2 hours. Reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, stirring occasionally, until thick and jammy, about 2 hours. You'll know it's done when you scrape a spoon across the bottom of the pot and no liquid fills in the path.
Refrigerate the tomato jam. Divide the jam between 2 (8-ounce) canning jars. Cool, then seal and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
