One taste of my Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam featuring fresh tomatoes gently simmered with orange juice, ginger, coriander, and cloves, and you will be hooked.
What? You have never tasted tomato jam? Would you believe me if I said it was the nectar of the gods? If catsup and orange marmalade got together and had a baby, I think it would have to taste like tomato jam!
Tomato Jam uses:
If you are not familiar with this condiment, you might be wondering how is it used? Well, the list is endless; it’s the easiest and tastiest way to dress up a plate of french fries or tater tots. It’s a crucial ingredient in both my popular Ultimate Southern Style Burger and Cornmeal Cookies and Tomato Jam.
This jam is also fabulous on regular burgers, hot dogs, BLTs, and grilled cheese. It would be wonderful served with my Southern Crispy Fried Oysters or Easy Crispy Pan-Fried Shrimp. And, it will make you swoon when piled on a toasted baguette with cream cheese.
This sweet and savory recipe is so easy you’ll wonder how you ever did without it. Tomatoes are naturally high in pectin, so you don’t even have to add pectin to make this tasty mixture.
You are going to wonder where this recipe has been all of your life. I’m obsessed with how good it is and I think you will be too! It is simply the best condiment I have ever tasted and the easiest to prepare.
More fresh tomato recipes:
In my opinion, there is nothing more flavorful than fresh summer tomatoes! If you love them too, you might also like these easy tomato recipes:
- Easy Classic Southern Tomato Pie
- Easy Baked Fresh Tomato Casserole
- Tomato Gravy
- Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas
- Spinach and Orzo Stuffed Tomatoes
- Tomato Cobbler with Cornmeal-Cheddar Biscuits, and
- Easy Southern Fried Green Tomatoes
How to easily peel tomatoes:
- For easy to peel tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Use a sharp knife and cut an X in the bottom of each tomato. Carefully add the tomatoes into the boiling water and let boil one minute.
- Use a slotted spoon and remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice and water.
- Remove the peel from the tomatoes and discard.
How to make Easy Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam:
Remove the core from the tomatoes and roughly chop.
Add the chopped tomatoes to a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, salt, ground coriander, and cloves.
Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.
Remove from the heat and fish out the cloves.
Use a potato masher and mash the tomatoes into a consistency like preserves. Allow the jam to cool completely and spoon into jars or other airtight containers and refrigerate for up to one month.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
- I used Beefsteak tomatoes in this recipe. However, you can use Roma or really any type you like or have on hand. Heirloom tomatoes would also work well.
- To easily core your tomatoes, use a small paring knife and cut a small circle around the stem end. With the tip of the knife, remove the core of the tomato and discard.
- I like and used 4-ounce mason jars to store my jam. However, any type of airtight container would also work well.
Easy Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes about 3-4 medium-size tomatoes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 5 whole cloves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
- Use a sharp knife and cut an X in the bottom of each tomato.
- Carefully add the tomatoes into the boiling water and let boil one minute.
- Use a slotted spoon and remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice-cold water.
- Remove the peel from the tomatoes and discard. Remove the core from the tomatoes and roughly chop.
- Add the chopped tomatoes to a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, salt, ground coriander, and cloves.
- Bring the tomato mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened. The jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Remove from the heat and fish out the cloves. Use a potato masher and mash the tomatoes into a jam-like consistency. Allow the jam to cool completely and spoon into jars or other airtight containers and refrigerate for up to one month.
Notes
- I used Beefsteak tomatoes in this recipe. However, you can use Roma or really any type you like or have on hand. Heirloom tomatoes would also work well.
- To easily core your tomatoes, use a small paring knife and cut a small circle around the stem end. With the tip of the knife, remove the core of the tomato and discard.
- I like and used 4-ounce mason jars to store my jam. However, any type of airtight container would also work well.
It’s not thickening
Hi Cindy,
This recipe produces jam that is naturally a little runnier than commercially prepared jams. How thick it becomes is also influenced by the ripeness and variety of the tomatoes that are used. The riper the tomatoes, the less natural pectin they contain. You could try cooking it a bit longer or adding a teaspoon of pectin and boiling it for five to ten minutes.
I hope this works and I hope you enjoy it.
All the best,
Sharon
Just made your jam and I’m in love. This stuff is so good and easy to make. I’ll be making more, especially want to try your Cornmeal Cookies.
Hey Heather,
Thanks so much for taking the time to drop me a note and I’m so glad you liked the tomato jam! It made me realize I haven’t made any in a while and I need some for my 4th of July burgers!
All the best,
Sharon
can the jars be processeed in a water bath to preserv them
Hi Wally,
I have never done it, but I can’t think of any reason why not! I hope you enjoy it.
All the best,
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
Do you weigh the tomatoes before or after the peeling and and coring? How many cups of chopped tomatoes it it? Asking because I made 7 pts of tomato preserves last night and I cleaned and chopped several more pounds of tomatoes and think I want to try a couple more recipes. Also, if you don’t cool the jam and immediately put it into jars, could you do a water bath to seal them and not have to put them in the fridge?
Thanks, Tracy
Hi Tracy, I weighed the tomatoes before peeling and chopping them. My guess is that the 1-1/2 pounds of raw tomatoes would translate into a little over 1 pound of peeled, cored, and chopped tomatoes. But, that is just a guess. It really depends on the size of your tomatoes and how much of the core you cut out. I do think this recipe is fairly forgiving so I don’t think adding a few more ounces of tomatoes would affect the outcome of the recipe. I hope this helps.
All the best,
Sharon
Hi Sharon.
Do you think this recipe would freeze well?
Hi Sheila, honestly, I don’t know for sure because I have never tried it. I do know there are freezer jams so maybe it would be fine, I just don’t know. If you do decide to try it, please let me know how it goes!
All the best,
Sharon
Sounds great. How many 4 oz jars does it make.
Hi Sharon,
This recipe makes two four-ounce jars. I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon