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 and tastes divine on a slice of Irish soda bread. This tomato jam and my other favorite savory jam, this onion jam, make great additions 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:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I made the tomato jam. OMG. I usually leave samples of my jam adventures for my family to try. Sorry, it was so good that I ate the sample.
This was delicious! I made 1/5 of the recipe to try because I did not have that many tomatoes.
So good! I enjoyed it on crackers with cheese & I will be making more to try on burgers & sandwiches. Thank you for the recipe.
I made this recipe and it was so delicious. My tomato harvest went to good use. Now I’m making it with the yellow tomatoes I saved to make a yellow sauce. It’s not quite enough so I am trying the jam instead. The brown sugar darkens the color of course so I’ll have a darker jam than yellow. More like orange. Can’t wait to see how it tastes. I had to halve the recipe so it will likely be very rich tasting.
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.