Tomato Jam
Updated
Updated
Made with juicy roma tomatoes, brown sugar, and warm spices, this Easy Tomato Jam is sweet, tangy, and a bit spicy. Enjoy on burgers and sandwiches as a ketchup replacement or serve with cheese and crackers for a simple appetizer or snack!
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5 STAR REVIEW
This sweet, tangy and spicy tomato jam is the perfect way to use up a surplus of tomatoes. Vine ripened tomatoes are simmered low and slow with ginger, cumin, tangy apple cider vinegar, sweet brown sugar and fiery red pepper flakes.
It’s the perfect recipe for when the garden is overflowing with tomatoes and it’s a super simple recipe. All you need is 1 pot and some time to create this fantastic condiment.
We love to use it on burgers as an alternative to regular ketchup or with cheese and crackers for a simple and exciting appetizer or snack. The sweet and savory flavor pairs so well with brie, goat, and sharp cheddar cheeses. This tomato jam would be a great addition to a charcuterie board too.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Swap out the vinegar. This jam can be made with lime or lemon juice in place of the vinegar. It’ll have a slightly different flavor but still taste great. The important thing is to have one acidic ingredient to balance out the sugar.
- Try other spices. Other flavors or spices that can be used include, cardamom, mustard seed, garlic or even an addition of soy or fish sauce. Maybe try a few batches to see which ones you love the most.
- How do you know when jam is done? You can tell your tomato jam is ready when most of the liquid has boiled away, leaving you with a dark, jammy consistency. Try dragging a spoon through the middle – if it fills back in slowly, it’s ready.
- Make sure all jars seal properly. If you’re canning the jam, once the jars have cooled, check to make sure they all sealed properly. If any didn’t, they need to be stored in the fridge like the jars that were not canned.
Tomato Jam
Ingredients
- 5 pounds fresh roma tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle bubble and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Jam is done when most of the liquid has been boiled away and you are left with a dark, jammy consistency. If you drag a spoon through the middle, it should be slow to fill back in.
- Allow the jam to cool to room temperature then use as desired (suggestions in article.)If not serving right away, transfer to jars and store in the fridge, freezer, or process for canning (see below.)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
Ways to Serve Tomato Jam
This jam is fantastic on burgers and sandwiches or served on a cheese plate. It works particularly well with brie, blue, goat, and sharp cheddars.
Here are a few specific ways you can use it:
- On a antipasto charcuterie board
- In place of ketchup on burgers
- In place of tomatoes on a classic grilled cheese
- On oven grilled cheese sandwiches (easy way to elevate a simple recipe!)
- Spread on biscuits or toast
- As a dip for breadsticks
- For crostini over homemade ricotta cheese
- On cheese and crackers
How Long Does This Easy Tomato Jam Last?
If jam is not fully canned, it needs to be stored in the fridge or freezer, while the properly canned jars can stay at room temperature.
- Refrigerator. Jars of tomato jam will last for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
- Freezer. You can also store them for up to 4 months in the freezer. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before using.
- Room temperature. Properly canned jars can be stored at room temperature in a dark, cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
More Condiment Recipes:
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I made this last season and I just made another batch again today. Everyone who tasted this jam LOVED it. This will be a yearly recipe to make to savor with Brie, for football season or for whatever is your jam…no pun intended.
I haven’t made this yet but was wondering if I could use another kind of tomato in it? I have an abundance of garden tomatoes. They might be too juicy?
Thanks
Roma tomatoes are the best for this jam because they tend to carry less water than other large varieties, but other garden tomatoes will work.
Delicious !
Question: I’d love to make this, but it’s winter. I can buy grocery store tomatoes, but they’re obviously not in season. Could I use equivilent weight of canned tomatoes with no salt added?
Hi Iva – I have not tested this recipe with canned tomatoes, so I can’t really vouch for results. Try it?
Simple, tasty and simply the best.
I made this yesterday and followed the recipe exactly. It is really good. I used heirloom beefsteak tomatoes from my garden, last of the season and it took 3 hours to cook down using a heavy cast iron enameled 8 qrt pot. I was really surprised by the flavor at the beginning, I thought wow this is going to be way to sweet but when finished it was barely sweet with a lot of tart. I put some over cream cheese with crackers and oh my was it good. Today I am making it again with garlic instead of the ginger and sriracha instead of pepper flakes. I also added a tablespoon of soy. Tastes pretty good so far, will see when done in 3 hours.
Perfect! I had to cook down 3.5 hours but it was worth it for the scrumptious finale. Thank you!
This was so tasty when I made it last year, that I’m making it again right now. It’s been cooking on the stove for about 3 hours and is almost the consistency we want. So many people loved this when I made it last year, I may end up making several batches since we have so many tomatoes to use up this year. Enjoy!
Can you freeze this in ziploc bags instead of jars?
Can you use tomato juice
Hi Gail. Not sure the exact question…as a replacement? In addition to? But for proper results, follow the recipe exactly as written.
Is it 5lb of tomatoes before coring or after?
before
I’m wondering if I can freeze my tomatoes until I have enough for a batch or two?
I know this calls for Roma tomatoes however can you use large cherry tomatoes instead?
Do you think you could do this with green tomatoes?
This recipe was so good I substituted the ginger for garlic and it turned out so good
This is truly the best tomato soup I’ve ever made. Even my husband who isn’t a big fan of tomato soup had 3 bowls!
ITS NOT EVEN DONE YET AND ITS AMAZING. THE SMELL AS IT COOKS DOWN JUST GETS BETTER AND RICHER.
Do you not peel the tomatoes?
Nope!
I have so many garden tomatoes and was looking for something new to do with them this year. This jam was such a surprise hit. Wow. 10/10.
This far exceeded my expectations – amazing! I have an abundance of garden tomatoes right now and this was the perfect use for them. Was so easy and absolutely delicious!!
Since I have had a crazy productive garden this summer and my freezer is full of tomato things, I was looking for ways to use my Roma tomatoes. This recipe was perfect! Except my tomatoes were much sweeter, so i cut some of the sugar… and reduced sugar more to replace some with Swerve sweetener, and added smoked paprika because I love smoky… oh I am a pain in the rear for recipe posters. But the basic recipe was such an inspiration and it was a rainy day in Southern California in August for Pete’s sake! SO i made do with half apple cider vinegar and half white wine vinegar… and the recipe is delightful! Thank you so much, Amy, for posting this. I hope I didnt offend you, Ill save this one to use again and again. This tomato jam will make fantastic Christmas gifts for my foodie friends (if it lasts that long.).
The flavor is really good while I’m still waiting (after 4 hours) for the consistency to get there (I am at higher altitude so that could be why it’s taking so long). I’m going to have to freeze because I don’t have the correct lids for my 8 oz jars. How is it that no pectin is needed for canning?
This is a very standard method for making tomato jam. If you’re having trouble reducing something, it’s usually because there’s not enough surface area/ there’s too much volume/liquid in the pot. Increase surface area by using a wider pot (or deep sided pan), or split it into two pots if you don’t have anything larger. Increasing heat a bit will speed along evaporation as well of course, but since there’s so much sugar you need to stir very frequently so it doesn’t scorch. The time it takes to reduce it can vary widely, depending on all of these factors, that’s why the recipe is written the way it’s written to explain what it looks like when it’s done, AND giving a range.
Re: the pectin. This isn’t like a fruit jam in consistency, or in method. A fruit jam or jelly recipe that uses pectin isn’t reduced to remove the water, so you need to add in more pectin than the fruit has in it. When you use pectin in something like a strawberry jam, you’re only cooking it briefly to try to preserve the fresh taste of the berries. Tomato jam is more of a saucy condiment, like a super fancy ketchup! It’s a reduction, so there’s no need to add extra pectin. Roma tomatoes are very high in pectin naturally, so when it’s reduced and the water is removed, it gives just the right amount of natural gelling to transform it into a thick sauce/spread. Hope this helps!
It came out awesome! Friends and family rave about this and even said I should sell it! Definitely will be a repeat often in my house! I froze several jars and gave away several. I just had some with some mascarpone on toast! SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD!
I was skeptical about this, but equally intrigued. I’m so glad I decided to make it because it’s my new favorite spread – we didn’t want to stop eating it!
This recipe is FANTASTIC! The only thing I changed was I used a variety of tomatoes from my garden instead of just roma tomatoes. Super delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.