This tomato jam (use any tomato variety you have on hand!) 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.
Homemade Tomato Jam for Canning
Ingredients
- 5 pounds fresh 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.
This was far too sweet for my taste, next time I would cut sugar down considerably. Depending on your penchant for spice, I’d tread cautiously with the full tb of pepper flakes. I added Spanish smoked paprika for more savory flavor, the cloves were a bit too strong for me as well. Overall with some adjustments for my taste, this is good. I canned in the smaller jam sized jars.
Just canned my first batch….WOW! This stuff is REALLY delightful! I ended up with six half-pint jars exactly. I intend to make more tomorrow; 4 oz. jars for holiday gifts! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
I’ve got my first batch cooking away right now. I took a spoonful to taste – Wow; great stuff. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This is my second year making this tomato jam. We love it. Thanks for sharing.
This tomato jam is wonderful – it tastes like what my grandmother used to can in South Georgia. I am going to the farmer’s market and get more tomatoes today. I cooked it on low so I did not have to stay in the kitchen with it and it took 3-4 hours. I actually put it in the refrigerator overnight and finished it this morning. I used 6 lbs of large tomatoes and got 3 half pints and 4 – 4oz jars. I put some in the small jars to use for an appetizer or to give to tomato jam doubters. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and advice.
Just made a batch, and it is delicious!
I also got 5 half-pints (vs. the 4-1/2 – 5 pints). Hmm.
I made this today. I was very diligent about measuring my tomatoes. I measured them on the kitchen scale, diced, not as whole tomatoes. 10 pounds of diced tomatoes yielded 21 HALF pints plus a wee bit in the pan for tasting. It took me 5 hours to cook this down to the “just right” consistency which i didn’t mind at all because this smells absolutely divine while it is cooking. Thank you so much!
Oh, I used a combination of organic field tomatoes and organic paste tomatoes.
yikes! sorry. canning late at night. i meant 22 4OZ jars! not half pints. huge difference.
Ok, its done..sorry to be commenting all the time..LOL…it is wonderful!
It took 2.5 hours to reduce, but I only got two pint jars and a half of a half pint jar….did I do something wrong maybe?
Its not runny or saucy at all…I can hold the half filled 1/2 pint jar upside down and it doesn’t move….since I am new at this..is that ok?
Karyn, the yield on this jam can vary a great deal depending on the tomatoes you use, the width of your pan and the amount of time you cook it. It sounds like you cooked it a lot more than I did, which is fine. What’s more, when I cooked it this year, I only wound up with 3 pints. So even my yield varies!
Thank you, Marisa. I was so worried about it not being thick enough (like the 1st recipe I tried) that I went went too far in the other direction. LOL
The taste is so good! Next time I will trust myself to stop a bit before the cement stage. Its all good though!
I have this jam simmering in my kitchen right now. It smells soo good! It will take longer to cook down here because of the elevation, but that is not a problem at all..it just means I get to smell this lovely jam a bit longer.
I left a comment a few days ago about my 1st tomato jam. I hate it so much that I am actually considering just opening the jars & dumping it out…no flavor and no texture.
Your tomato jam recipe reminds me of the tomato jam my Gramma used to make. I used to eat that on everything! Thank you for sharing the recipe and thank you for bringing back happy memories of my Gramma, “Lolla”.
Made a 3lb batch last weekend and have decided a good portion of the CSA preserving tomatoes we get next week are getting the same treatment. Delicious!! I did notice when it came to the chili flakes I cut the amount in half after cutting back for the small batch and it was still a little warm for my wife (perfect for me). We decided the next batch will be a full 5lbs with the reduced amount of chili flakes. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just made a batch of this and it is so good. I’ve been loving all the comments about what to use it on, but to be honest, I can’t wait to eat it with bread and butter. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just found this recipe and I wish I had seen it earlier today..I just got through pushing 6 pounds cooked of tomatoes through a sieve and I am now reducing the pulp from 6 cups to 3 cups….sigh..and I have to say it doesn’t look like pulp, it looks lile tomato sauce… I will definitely try this one next time!
I am making this for the third time this weekend! This recipe rocks. I brought it to a party last night and it disappeared. I am making it for Christmas gifts this year.
I think I’ll try this with the scads of cherry tomatoes I have.
Wow, this is unbelievably good. My favorite thing I’ve canned thus far!
Hi Marisa,
Just bought tomatoes today to prepare for a tomato jam in my tiny kitchen this evening…however, I am unclear if the lime called for in the recipe is fresh lime juice or bottled/jarred lime juice? I have seen debates on several canning blogs on fresh vs. bottled citrus, and I certainly do not want to compromise my tomatoes. Thank you!
For this recipe, it’s acceptable to use either fresh or bottled lime juice. When you acidify plain tomatoes for canning, you always want to use bottled, but in this case either works.
Can we substitute lemon juice for lime juice? I have bottled lemon juice on hand, but no fresh/bottled lime juice.
Yes.
My first canning experience and I used grape tomatoes. It turned out beautifully. I think I caught the bug. DH is bringing home a flat of strawberries tomorrow and my sister-in-law is getting me a lug of peaches. Yay! Thanks for the recipe, this one’s a keeper.
I’ve made 2 batches of this tomato jam…….the first had a smaller yield, but I guess it’s because I kept tasting it!!! The second got 5 half-pints……and all with tomatoes from my garden and peppers from my garden too. This is the first garden I’ve had in 30 years and I’m so happy, I could squeal! My ex’s elderly aunt mentioned making tomato jam, and, while I’d never had any, I remembered canning tons of tomatoes back in the day and really wanted something that would use lots of tomatoes….so, I scrounged around until I settled on this recipe……WOW! am I glad that I did…….it’s awesome! My second thought was, what would I use it on……never mind, I’ll use it on everything….the first thing I tried was meatloaf in lieu of the glaze, then biscuits, then just on toast, and it’s great just for a nibble when you want that ‘taste’ in your mouth. Thanks so much for a great recipe and guess what I’m giving for Christmas gifts!!!!
Too many people haven’t tried Tomato Jam and I’m going to fix that for at least a dozen people!
3.5 hours on the stove later… my tomato jam is ALMOST reduced enough. If I had know it would be such an undertaking, I would have started earlier! Can’t wait to taste it, I bought some goat cheese to put it on crackers with!
Batch 1 didn’t even get labeled and put away. Batch 2 is in the slow cooker. Plans for batch 3 are underway. All I can say is this stuff lives up to the hype!
I love this!!! I added chipoltes in abode that I had processed in a food processor and cut back a little on the sugar. This is awesome on a turkey or ham sandwich!! Thanks for posting this recipe!!
Well, it took over a year, but I finally got around to making this with some garden fresh tomatoes (a combo of Brandywine and Golden Jubilee). It took over 3 1/2 hours to reduce to a jam consistency, and ended up making 5 half pint jars. Saved just enough to have some on crackers with goat cheese. Really good, thanks for posting this!
Eileen
second batch of tomato jam–i used romas and got 5 whole jars instead of 4.5 like last time. made it a little spicer as well. this is such a great recipe and i will continue to spread the word about tomato jam amazing-ness.
Awesome!!! Had an assortment of garden fresh tomatoes and cherry tomatoes that I used for this recipe. Just finished taking the last jars out of the water bath. Love hearing those pops! This will definitely be a fall canning staple for me. Reminds me a little of my Grandma’s chili sauce recipe and so easy with leaving on the skins. Thanks for another great recipe!!!
If I do half pints, do I still need to process 20 minutes or a shorter time?
Thanks- I am new to canning!
I’m wondering the exact same thing!
Nope, you never reduce processing time for smaller jars, you only increase it for larger jar.
just as a follow up–AMAZING results. tomato jam is by far my favorite thing to can so far. completely worth the effort. i feel like this is something i cannot readily get at a store and i am proud to say that it cam straight from my garden. cannot thank you enough!
i know this is an older post–but it is fresh to me! i am making tomato jam as we speak–cannot WAIT to try it! thank you so much
Just made this and it is fantastic!! I love not having to skin and seed the tomatoes first and the texture is better than just plain tomato jam. Thanks for a great recipe!
I just made this, but I got about 1/2 the jam the recipe says. The jars in the pictures are 1/2 pt, so maybe thats why? great tasting!!
i have this simmering on my stove top right now. problem is – i’ve never canned before, and i don’t have any canning supplies on hand. it was sort of an impulse decision to make it at 9.30 on a tuesday night. i’m using tomatoes that i froze after last growing season. any input if i can just put the jam into freezer bags after it cools? going to cross my fingers and hope for the best. :-\ smells heavenly though!
Amy, you can certainly freeze the jam once it has cooled. You could also pour it off into a large container, refrigerate it and then bring it back up to temperature once you’ve gotten the jars for canning.
Just made the jam and then sauted up some scallops in garlic grapeseed oil popped them on a thinly sliced and lightly toasted baguette and put a small dollop of this fabulous jam on top… DELICIOUS! Everyone loved it, even those that thought Tomato Jam was weird sounding.
Beautiful jam and great way to use up the tomatoes from a great garden season once all of the salsa is made! Would be wonderful with Port Salut cheese and crackers – or with a pork tenderloin. Thanks for the recipe!
I am a little late finding this recipe since it was posted last year, but I just had to write in and comment about how fantastic it is! I cooked it a little longer than it said to get the jammy consistency which I think was due to my tomatoes, but it tastes fabulous! I can’t wait to try it as a topping on meatloaf. I also think it would make a great barbecue type sauce for grilled chicken, and I may even give it a shot layered in a mold with goat cheese and pesto. Thanks for the great recipe.
Marisa – Hi, it’s Erin (the crazy person who sent you a gushing email a few months ago that you were kind enough to respond to…and not think I was crazy). Been reviewing the archives and just found this recipe. My grandmother told me a few years ago about her mother’s tomato jam – how to it was slightly spiced and both sweet and savory – they spread it on pancakes. I’ve been trying to replicate it…and this is the closest yet! Thanks for the recipe – you’re still my hero!
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I preserved 100 lbs of tomatoes a few weeks ago and I included this method (gave you props on my blog too!). Can’t wait to explore all the ways to try this yummy condiment!
I just made this today — but I think I blew it. I used fresh lime juice, not even thinking about using bottled. It does taste good 🙂
I have bought the tomatoes and can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m just trying to figure out how I’m going to use it after it’s made!
Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe! I had to cook it for about 2.5 hours to get a sticky mess — and it’s really sticky — but I think it’s fabulous. I added some freshly grated nutmeg and about a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika and it turned out great — sweet, spicy, smoky and complex. The overrun jar I brought to the office disappeared in a day. Thank you!
Marisa,
This jam is spectacular. I made a batch last week and, like another poster, ate the overrun jar that night. So I made another batch the next day in anticipation of a winter of jam-love. Thanks for printing this recipe. It’s a keeper, and I even wrote it down in my fav canning book!
jenn.
Lizette, I’m really sorry to hear that you’re having trouble getting these jams to set. The thing to note with this jam is that you essentially just cook it down until enough water evaporates to make it sticky and thick. However, it never sets hard. It’s designed to be a fairly runny, spreadable thing. Happily, they’ll both taste good, even if they don’t have the consistency you’d like.
this is the second recipe i’ve tried from your site (the other was the apricot blackberry jam but i used peaches) and neither one of them have set up. argh! is it me? i simmered forever and kept using the plate test and it would not get to the gel stage. finally at midnight i said screw it and canned it anyways. it tastes great but it isn’t a jam. 🙁
I am amazed at how many tomato jam recipes there are! But I’m taking your word for it, and making this one. It looks incredible!
After seeing your tomato jam recipe, I happened to go to the store where the tomatoes were on sale for 69 cents/pound. It was meant to be…I bought a gigantic bag and cooked up a batch which is now residing in my freezer waiting for its moment to shine. Delicious!
I have to say thank you for passing on this recipe! I definitely have designs on this being a great Christmas appetizer. Pour a jar of this over some goat cheese, serve with a little tigella, and it will be the perfect blend of Christmas, the South, California, Italy — a few of my favorite things! (You need to sing that last part.)
Caroline: I think a food processor would make the tomatoes too broken down. I only roughly chop mine, so it takes me about 20 minutes to break down the five pounds.
Kate: Don’t replace the lime juice with balsamic vinegar. The lime is in there as much to make the acid levels safe as it is to add flavor. Balsamic has a difference acid level than lime juice, so you can’t swap them equally. I think you’d have to add an awful lot of balsamic to make it safe.
PattyM: I don’t see why you couldn’t try it with those German Green Tomatoes.
GREEN TOMATO JAM…Do you think this would work with Aunt Ruby’s German Green Tomatoes? (a ripe but still green colored type). I have an abundance of these this year!
This recipe is perfect for the tomatoes I have left after cleaning out the garden. I have canned all the sauce, salsa, relish, and whole tomatoes I need. But, I have not made ketchup yet, thanks.
Love your site, Brenda
Love this jam! Made it yesterday and it turned out fantastic. Two questions though, your yield said 4 1/2 to 5 pints and I only got two and a half pints. Not sure why. I cooked it for 90 minutes and did the recipe exactly. Also, I used crushed red pepper. Is that the same as red chili flakes? I was also wondering about maybe substituting balsamic vinegar for the lime juice?
Can’t wait to try this with flank steak this week and I think it would be marvelous with meatloaf!
This smells AWESOME! It is currently simmering on the stove. I do have a quick question for you. Have you ever chopped the tomatoes in a food processor to make this? I was scared to try and end up with tomato mush, but boy, took me about an hour to finely chop 5 lbs of tomatoes! Hubby is really excited about the final product, so am I… Keep those great recipes coming 🙂
Oh, this is quite different from what I make, neat! I adapted a basic recipe I saw all over the internets, adjusting to green/gold rather than red ingredients to compliment my Green Zebra tomatoes. The result is that we burn through jars too fast to give them away. It goes something like this:
1 pound-ish of green zebras, peeled but not de-seeded
4ish garlic cloves, peeled, minced fine
2 or 3 green serranos or jalepenos
Piece of ginger (larger than my thumb?) peeled and grated
1+ tbsp fish sauce (I know it smells funky when added. Shhh.)
10 oz or so sugar
1/2 cup or so cider vinegar
It cooks into a beautiful golden color, and is the best thing ever on toast beneath poached eggs for brunch on lazy weekend mornings.