This tomato jam is one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever published. I can’t even take credit for it, the recipe came to me from a friend! It’s better than the most delicious ketchup you’ve ever tasted. I’ve updated the photos, but the recipe is the same.
I used to have a fantastic coworker named John. He was calm in the face of chaos, had a buoyant sense of humor and knew how not to take things too seriously. And, his wife Amy just happened to be my kitchen soulmate. You’ve got to love a coworker who comes attached to good people.
Amy was the first person to introduce to me tomato jam and now I can’t go back to a life without it. She gave me a jar with the recipe attached, and I am forever grateful. I use it in place of ketchup (with turkey burgers), as well as in places where ketchup wouldn’t dare to tread (try it with a soft, stinky cheese. It is life changing). I also love serving it with roasted root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots.
For those of you who are accustomed to preserving tomatoes, you’ll notice that this recipe does not call for you to peel these tomatoes. That is not a mistake.
The first time I made a batch, I thought I could improve on things and peeled and seeded the tomatoes prior to cooking them down. However, without those bits, the finished tomato jam was too sweet and entirely without texture. It needs the skin and seeds. Don’t take them out.
A few things to know about this jam.
Don’t double the batch. This jam doesn’t use any additional pectin and so gets to the proper texture through reduction and sugar concentration. If you increase the batch size, the cooking time will greatly increase and it will be much harder to get to the proper texture before the bottom of the pot begins to burn.
Tomato choice matters. The yield of this jam can vary widely depending on the variety of tomato you use. Meaty tomatoes like paste, Roma, or San Marzano will produce a higher yield. Super watery tomatoes like heirloom slicers will produce a smaller yield. Any tomato can be used, but the yield can vary up to a full depending on your choice.
Wider pots are better. The more surface area you give the jam, the faster and more efficiently it will reduce. Stock pots are designed to prevent evaporation, so they aren’t the best choice for this recipe. A low, wide Dutch oven or soup pot is a better option.
Tomato Jam
Ingredients
- 5 pounds tomatoes finely chopped
- 3 1/2 cups sugar
- 8 tablespoons bottled lime juice
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, cook at a low boiluntil it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.
- When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
- When time is up, remove jars from water bath and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, test seals. Store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
I just tasted some tomato jam which was wonderful. The ingredients listed on the label are all you list in your recipe, except this one had Pectin and yours does not. Could you add pectin and then just bring to a full boil again (like in other fruit jams), lessening the amount of time to sort of cook down the mixture as in your recipe? Thanks so much. Can’t wait to make some . . . delicious!
I feel like the extended cooking time helps concentrate the flavor. I wouldn’t use pectin with this recipe.
I love love love this tomato jam! My son tried some at a restaurant and wanted me to see if I could find a recipe and make it. I made it last year before the holidays once then four more times. I gave a lot away over the holidays and everyone loved it! Some good friends didn’t even hint, they outright asked for more. I am down to my last jar in the pantry so just made one recipe, the jars are cooling and another is on the stove. This is such a favorite of our family that we make two recipes at a time and hide it. Thanks for all of your great recipes. Love your book, Food in Jars, as well.
My daughter makes this recipe and it is fabulous!
Oh my god. Thank you so, so much for this recipe. I’ve been looking for a tomato jam recipe for eons and here you are! I am over the moon! I was wondering, do you think it would be alright to add an onion? Thank you so much. Ahhh I feel like your recipe was the rope that has pulled me from the pits of the inter-webs where I have languished, looking for a tomato jam recipe. Thank you so much for putting how long it lasts as well, a lot of recipes don’t do that. Hope you have a lovely day,
Eve.
It is not a good idea to add onion to this recipe. It could push the acid content into an unsafe zone.
I added 1 and a half onions before I saw this! Oops! Do you think it will at least keep for a few months?
You need to refrigerate the batch to which you added onions. It’s too low in acid to be safely preserved in a boiling water bath and so could potentially harbor botulism if stored at room temperature.
This is absolutely great stuff! As is often the case, the first batch I made — the “accident” — turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever made. The subsequent 2 batches were really, really good, but nothing like the first. What I think happened the first time was I either didn’t have enough tomatoes, or their water content was low, and I only got 1 1/2 jars. But, it was exquisite! Maybe because the other proportions were full? It was rich and intense. I did it late in the season, so there were no good field-grown tomatoes left to try to recreate the accident and I refuse to use anything in the grocery stores. Next summer, for sure… I ended up giving the one “first batch” jar to a foodie from New Orleans, who raved about it the whole time he was in California! Now that’s success. Thanks for a wonderful recipe that will be in my Christmas give-away baskets this year.
I am actually looking for what Americans call jelly conserve. In Australia we make jam from fruit including tomatoes, sugar aond sometimes add in things like pineapple or ginger or extra lemon. It is used as a spread on bread not as a sauce when cooking main meals. Thank you anyway. I will keep looking.
I’m actually not familiar with anything called jelly conserve. Are you thinking of marmalade?
What is the shelf life of your tomato jam?
Also I added a little olive oil to the process for flavor.
Is this safe
It’s generally not a good idea to add oil of any kind to a preserve that has not been designed to include it. It can inhibit a seal or cause the product to spoil more quickly.
Without additional oil, this tomato jam keeps well for at least 2 years on the shelf. The oil will surely shorten that shelf life.
Can I use plum tomato’s. I have many of the them.
Thank you, Debbie
Yes.
Also, Can I use lemon instead of lime.
Thank You again.
Debbie
Yes.
Hi Marisa, I just started making jam just a couple of weeks ago. I started with papaya that my neighbor gave me and it was too sweet. So I’m learning to taste first and then add more. I then made mango jam which came out great and then made strawberry and that was wonderful, and yesterday I made zucchini jam which took so much time shredding them, but I put the jars in the frig. I did not know you can put yours in the cabinet. Was I suppose to put the others in the cabinet. Could you put your tomato in the frig or should I just put it in the cabinet like you said. This is so much fun making jams.
Thank you,
Debbie
You can only process jams for the cabinet if the recipe has been designed for a boiling water bath canning process. This tomato jam was created to be safe for boiling water bath canning. I don’t know if your zucchini jam was, but chances are good that it needs to be stored in the refrigerator.
Hi Marisa, I just started the tomato jam. I really don’t know if I had 5lb’s of tomato’s, but I chopped them up good and I used lemon instead of lime. I measured all the dry stuff, but used a little less. I also chopped up my ginger very fine. I only used 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I have my jars already and the pot for the bath. Oh btw, I did give my zucchini a water bath for 5 minutes per recipe and Marisa, it came out great. Two of my neighbors loved it and gave one to my daughter which she loved. You can put it on anything, meat, sandwiches, cheese. Oh so good. I just hope your recipe comes out good, but if not its my fault and then I will try again. It has hour and 1/2 to go and I will let you know how it came out. This is so fun to do. I also want to make an apple butter recipe. If you have one could you send me. I would love to give you my email, but everyone on here would see it. Do you have an email I can talk to you about jarring things. I’m not that good on the computer and I can’t believe I got to reply to which took me awhile. I thank you again.
Have a great day.
Debbie
Debbie, was the zucchini recipe designed for a boiling water bath canner? If not, it is not safe for shelf storage. Zucchini doesn’t have enough acid on its own to be safe for BWB canning. All my recipes can be found here: https://foodinjars.com/recipe-index/
Marisa, I made the tomato jam, but when you open the jar do you put it in the frig or do you still keep it out in the cabinet.
Thank you
Debbie
Whenever you open a jar, it goes in the fridge. No opened jars should be stored in the cabinet.
You said when the jam is done, you said to put in a cool dark place. So where do you put yours. I thought you could put in a cabinet which is dark and cool place.
Sorry to bother you so many times, but like I said, I am new at this.
Thank you and have a good.
Debbie
Sorry, I read your note wrong. Now I understand. I will not bother you anymore. My next thing I want to make is apple butter. I have 8 apples which said to cook in a crock pot on another website. So I may try that. Take care and thank you for all your advice. Sorry again for all the questions.
Debbie
Debbie, you are welcome to ask me questions! I’d just suggest that you read through my Canning 101 archive to do a bit of self education, because it seems that you’re a very new canner.
Hi Marisa! I was just wondering if I could use any tomatoes? A mixture of full size and cherries maybe? Thanks!
You can use any tomatoes you want. Just know that the yield will vary depending on the water content of the tomatoes you use.
Would making substitutions like brown sugar or ground cumin and adding 2 tsp of fish sauce or a few cloves of garlic significantly change the ph?
The garlic could impact the pH. I don’t think any of those other changes would make it unsafe, though.
Thanks Marisa! I’ll add some citric acid to counter the garlic. I love your tomato jam. It’s so wonderful that I use it for presents.
Marisa,
Do I need to add any citric acid at all or does the lime juice suffice? Also, can I cook in pressure cooker instead of hot water bath?
You don’t need citric acid in this recipe, the lime juice adds plenty of extra acid. And there’s absolutely no need to pressure can this preserve. Because lime juice raises the acid content, the finished product is well below the pH cut-off of 4.6. So the boiling water bath is fine. To use a pressure canner would be overkill.
Hello! Love your site! I’ve made this recipe and enjoyed it, although it came out a little sweeter than I like. I have tons of cherry tomatoes ripening, and am concerned that it will be inedibly sweet if I use them. Can I reduce the sugar? I’d still like it to be safe for long-term storage, though. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Your answer is in this blog post: https://foodinjars.com/2015/02/canning-101-can-reduce-sugar/
I’ve been canning since the spring thru your books, starting with rhubarb jam and chutney, and I just finished up some batches of peach BBQ sauce, peach salsa and classic dills this week. I’m new to it and your books have made it so easy and fun, so thank you! Looking forward to tomatoes, do you think I could cook this jam in the slow cooker if I left the lid ajar? Thanks again!
I’ve never done the tomato jam in a slow cooker, but I’m sure you could. It will take hours, though.
Hi I made this jam but my kids think it tastes too much like ginger snaps. So I was thinking about adjusting the spices. Do you have any suggestions? I think the cloves overpowered it for them. Or was it that I grated the ginger with a microplane. I would like to make it again, so I am wondering how to adjust the spices. Maybe 1/4 tsp cloves? Thanks for your help.
Anne, it’s probably the cinnamon and cloves that makes it taste like gingersnaps to your kids. I’d leave those out next time and then taste and adjust as you cook.
Thanks so much for responding. I am definately making this again and will try to adjust it for them. I tried making another recipe I found on pinterest but it was a big fail. I have your book and love dreaming about what I might make next. Thanks for sharing all of your recipes on line too. I am planning on doing the red onion jam and the peach salsa next.
Hi Marisa. I’ve been enjoying your recipes. I’ve been canning over 39
Years and normally can 450-500 jars of food yearly. I’ve done everything with tomatoes except ham and was excited to see this recipe. I have a quick question. I used Roma tomatoes as I thought they’d be thicker and better for this recipe. I followed the recipe and after 2 hours of cooking my
Kettle was full of fluid. I drained off 12.3 cups of water. I hated to waste the tomatoes and knowing they need the sugar and lime juice to be safe I added again. 1 1/2 hours later my kettles full of water again. How do I get it to the sticky jam stage. I normally make over 150 jars of various jam in the summer with no problem. I’m stymied and hate to
Waste this. Thanks. Terri
I don’t even understand how it was possible that you had more than 12 cups of water from a recipe that starts with just five pounds of tomatoes. If you didn’t follow the recipe, I can’t help you.
I was wondering if I could omit the ginger in this recipe as I am allergic to it.
You can always safely omit ingredients. It’s adding them that can be problematic.
Just looking through the comments (I’ve made this recipe every year for the last five and only today took a look at the comments – ha!). I always use the slow cooker for this combo and it turns out great. It takes a bit longer in my older slow cooker but in the newer, larger crock pot it takes about 4 hrs unless you have really watery tomatoes.
Can you slow roast the tomatoes first?
I had a really quick question I am making the tomato jam and I use the 5 lb of grape tomatoes It is taken over an hour and a half now and it is still not to a sticky consistency. I was wondering if I did something wrong or if it can take longer for it to boil down I had it on a very low simmer I have now raised the simmer to a higher one
You need a pretty aggressive simmer. I will occasionally even do a hard boil, depending on the amount of liquid that the tomatoes are putting off.
Hello!
I made a tomato jam recipe found on this site that we loved so much, I remember it differently, was there another recipe at one point?
Thanks!
Search the site. There are at least five different tomato jam recipes here.
Hi Marisa, This is my second year making this incredible jam. I didn’t get a huge tomato crop out of my garden however and am wondering if I use the best store-bought tomatoes I can find, do you think I’ll still have successful results? (Yes, I knoew that’s going to be pricey!) My family cannot handle it if this isn’t available all year 😀 and extended family requests it, too!
It is fine to use tasty store bought tomatoes in this jam. I’ve made it several times with grape tomatoes from Costco and it’s been great.
I’d like the green tomato raspberry jam recipe please.
First year canning anything on my own–Pandemic pantry–have grown my own tomatoes for years.
This recipe is the BEST!
I decrease the sugar a little as I prefer less sweet and it does take a bit longer to get all happy and sticky but worth the wait.
I used so far on a turkey burger, avocado toast, and grilled cheese sandwich.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge to the novices of the world.
Maria
Thank you for the kind words! I’m so glad you like it!
I never got around to making any tomato jam this year. All of my slicing tomatoes are long done for the season. But I still have sauce tomatoes growing. Would they work or would they be too dry? Thanks!
I love this jam and have been making it for years! Love it on grilled cheese, turkey or ham sandwiches, poured over cream cheese or used as a dip for grilled shrimp, I could go on and on. But I do have a question.
I freeze mine (rather than can) and usually eat it within the year. This year, I found some that I made two summers ago. It still smells & looks fine. I didn’t think jam could go bad in the freezer, but have seen it’s usually recommended to freeze anywhere from 6 to 12 months. Any thoughts on this? Thanks so much.
If it looks and smells fine, it is fine.
In my very old Kerr canning book( 1940’s), there is a recipe for tomato conserve. It contains tomatoes, sugar, lemon and ginger. I make every few years. It is quite lovely. For those looking for a conserve, check with your grannies and great-grans.
I’ve just found this recipe and anxious to give it a try. I only have ground ginger and no trips to the store in sight. Do you think that will make a significant difference? I’ll get fresh ginger next time I’m shopping, but need to use up tomatoes as quickly as I can. Our garden has gone crazy with tomatoes this year. Thank you!
It will still be tasty without fresh ginger, but it is markedly better with it.
I’m making your tomato jam for the first time sounds wonderful. Can you give me some examples of how to use it? Thank you so much. I can’t wait to try it. The comments are so awesome.
Think of tomato jam like high end ketchup. It’s great on meat, roasted veg, cheese. I know some who use it as glaze or part of a marinade.
Hi there! My daughter in law made this last and we absolutely love it. We decided to try our own today-well I always cook in quantity and I made your recipe x 6-😬 so far it’s been cooking for 4 hours and it’s still very liquidity-I just divided into two pots hoping that will help thicken-any hints on how I can thicken it up? I know it’s a long shot hoping for an answer while I’m in the middle of it-fingers crossed 🤞
This jam depends on evaporation for thickening. When you increase the batch size, you make it harder for the jam to thicken. Your best bet it to divide the batch and keep cooking.
This recipe is amazing. I used about 1/3 Roma tomatoes, 1/3 Black Cherry Tomatoes and 1/3 yellow tomatoes. My only disappointment was that after all that it only yielded 4 half pints. Should I do something differently next time?
Honestly, that isn’t a crazy yield with the variety of tomatoes you used. Yellow tomatoes are super watery and don’t end up bringing much tomato pulp to the party. For maximum yield, use meaty tomatoes like all Roma, San Marzano, or Juliet. If you live someplace where paste tomatoes are easy to come by, those work beautifully too.
OMG this is officially my new obsession! I’ve never heard nor tasted of it before but followed this recipe and it is DIVINE! I used Roma’s from my garden and fresh local honey. I processed eleven, 4-oz jars and only my best friends and select family members will receive one! I rarely post reviews but this is so outstanding, I had to share.
I’m so glad you like it!
Hello! I made this yesterday using the recipe from the FIJ book and I see that the only difference between the two recipes is that the book calls for freshly squeezed lime juice instead of bottled. I’m wondering what the reason for this change was and if it will still be safe with the freshly squeezed juice? Thanks!
Tomatoes need acidification in order to be safe for canning. This recipe contains double the amount of lime juice necessary for safety. Because of that, I felt comfortable using fresh lime juice in this recipe when I was writing my first cookbook. However, I got such pushback for that choice, that I switched it here on the blog. However, a batch made with fresh lime juice is perfectly safe given the sheer volume of lime juice this recipe employs.
I have to add to the chorus of raves about this recipe – just made it and it is fabulous! Followed the recipe exactly and ended up with 4.5 pints. Can’t wait to use this on a BCAT (bacon, cucumber, avocado, tomato) sandwich in a few months!
So glad you like it!
Hello Marisa, I have two questions, please…
1-Can I make just half the recipe ?
2-What would you use instead of ginger ?
Thank you so much.
Take care.
You can definitely do a half batch. And if you don’t want to use ginger, perhaps lean more heavily into the citrus and go with some fresh zest?
Before making this recipe I had never had tomato jam or anything close to it. I am so glad I found and used this recipe. The finished product was absolutely divine. It has many uses but I will likely enjoy from a spoon straight from the jar. Because I like hot and spicy foods I may double the chili flakes.
Thank you for such a tasty jam.
So glad you like it!
Can we add balsamic vinegar?
You could add a few tablespoons. That wouldn’t do any harm!
Hi. I have used many of your wonderful recipes. I am interested in trying to use up some of the store bought cans of tomato products in my pantry. Can I safely substitute them for fresh? Thank you! ☺️
You could use canned tomatoes in this recipe, though this recipe does lose something when it’s made with peeled tomatoes.
Do you have to remove the skins!
No. If you read through blog post, you’ll see that I address the question of peeling.
I have frozen tomatoes from last year. Do you think I could use them to make the tomato jam.
You could, though know that your yield is probably going to be a little lower because some liquid is always lost in the process of freezing.
This recipe is a treasure!!! I made it last year and the family is clamoring for more. One question: I made it in half pints, but If I made pints or quarter pints for tiny little presents, would I have to change the processing time? Thank you so much!
The processing time remains the same for quarter pints, half pints, and pints. The only time you change the processing time is if you increase the jar size beyond a pint. Then you add five minutes.
Hi there, can i use canning salt? Thanks so much . I want to try this tomorrow!
Yes.
Help!!!! I made your tomato jam on Monday and it taste delicious. My problem is it is now Wednesday and it never set. I put one in the refrigerator and it never set either. Would it be safe if I opened them and tried cooking it again? I did cook it for 2 hours and 90% were Roma tomatoes.
You can totally open the jars and cook it down some more.
I was planning on making some and sharing some with my mother. Thing is, she doesn’t like spicy things. Could the red chili flakes be optional?
They are absolutely optional. Feel free to omit.
Hi: Found this recipe and anxious to try it; I read all of the comments and I think you may have address this, but I have a variety of tomatoes in the garden; can I use all of them at once. AKA, heirloom, Roma, yellow. Can I use green tomatoes in it or is that a no no and has to be used in a green tomatoe recipe?. I have so many green ones and I’m worried about our annual fog blight that comes with late August in MN. PS; I’m so mad I wasted to many tomatoes in the past because they were green.
You can definitely mix up the varieties of tomatoes that you use. I don’t recommend using green tomatoes in this jam, though. They will change the flavor.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. I made it years ago…and then after a series of life events, I forgot about it until my friend asked me to make her some. (I had gifted her a jar for Christmas one year)
We have a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and it’s the perfect recipe to knock some of them out since you don’t have to peel or deseed lol.
So glad you remembered!
Hi! I’m making this today and wonder about using jalapeños. I notice another tomato jam recipe of yours with 3T of chopped jalapeños. Do you think this substitution would work for the chili?
Yes.
I made this tonight and is it amazing in flavor. I did peel the tomatoes but didn’t seed them. Next time I’ll leave the skins on and see if I like it that way. It has a hint of sweet and a hint of zip, PERFECT! I got four 1/2 pints and almost a 5th but that’s ok, it’s going on my Nathan’s collosal hot dog tonight. I was over a little on the 5lbs of tomatoes, so if you want more than 4-5, 1/2 pints, then up it to 10-13 lbs for a full water bath. Will make again if I have left over tomatoes after making sauce for the winter.
Wondering can I use frozen plum tomatoes and do I drain the liquid when thawing
That should be okay.
I made this jam today, using 20 pounds of romas in one batch. I did blanche them first just because I don’t like tomato skins but did not seed them. My problem was there was way too much liquid and after three hours my jam had still not thickened. I ladled off so much watery liquid and finally had a wonderful jammy concoction. Did I get so much liquid because I did such a big batch at once?
Yes, it was way too big a batch. The reason this jam works is the batch size. It thickens because the water cooks off and the sugar concentrates, leading to a thick, sticky consistency. You quadrupled the batch, which created a situation in which the water couldn’t possibly cook off in a reasonable amount of time.
I have read and re-read this recipe, but can’t find the jar size you used to process this recipe. Am I missing it? I assume half-pints…..
So sorry about that. I’ve fixed the post to include the jar size. You can use either pints or half pints for this recipe.
I won a prize with this recipe in the Tottenham Food and Produce show a few years back.
Glad to hear it!
My grandmother made tomato jam! Loved it. Recipe is different from yours but good. Question: could you use a slow cooker instead of the stove? Thank you.
I’ve never tried a slow cooker. I don’t know if it would do a good job, because this jam depends on reduction and a little caramelization for its set. I don’t think you’d get that with a slow cooker.
Could I freeze this jam is mason jars instead of using the hot water bath ?
Yes. Just make sure to leave extract headspace to account for expansion.
This is an EXCELLENT recipe. I have canned all the tomatoes I could use, given away all the neighbors could eat, and still have many on the vine. I didn’t want to waste any, so I made a batch of this jam this morning…..and immediately made three more to can. Perfect combo of the umami from the tomato, balanced with the acidity of the lime juice, sweet, savory, and then a spicy finish. I used San Marzanos which cooked quicker, then did a batch with a medley of cherry tomatoes, midnight snack, and heirloom globe cherry. All were outstanding. Will be glad to crack a jar open in the winter and have the summer flavor. Only caution is to be careful and know your chili flakes…this turned out a bit spicier than I thought it would but I used a spicy chili flake. I didn’t want to waste a drop. Seriously used some crackers to scrape the sides of the pots to get every bit out. I considered pulling all of the tomatoes out this weekend but will keep them going to make more of this next weekend! Follow the recipe exactly as Marisa states and it will turn out perfect!
I’m so happy you like it!
So Good! I used about 6lbs of a variety of heirloom tomatoes, drained off the excess tomato water about 8 min. into cooking. It was over a quarts worth of water which I saved that for vegetable soup. I followed the recipe only reducing the hot pepper flakes to 2t. (we are weenies with hot stuff), The mixture did cook down into a jammy mixture after an hour. I got 2 – 1/2 pints, and 5 – 1/4 pints. The flavor is incredible! I will make again as I can use it a flavor enhancer for so many different types of meals!
I am interested in making this jam but need to make it without citrus due to a family allergy. I suspect I can substitute vinegar but would like a suggestion on how much is needed to keep it safe for canning. Is it the same amount as lime juice?
You can definitely use vinegar in place of the lime juice, but you it will be a fair volume. The guideline is to double the volume of a 5% acidity vinegar for the amount of lemon or lime juice that is called for. So in this case, you need a full cup of vinegar to substitute for the lime to ensure safety.