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.
Marisa. I just wanted to apologize. I didn’t realize you yourself answered my question. I have full faith in your knowledge and experience. No need to post this, I just wanted to apologize!
Thanks, Ann
Thanks for responding Marissa! It should be safe to eat? Anyone else care to comment? Hoping for more confirmation that it will be safe.
Ann, it’s a little disheartening that you come to my site, ask for advice, and then not trust the information I offer. The jam is a high acid product, the worst thing that can happen to it is that it can get moldy or start to ferment if improperly canned. If you bring it up to a hard boil, and then fill and process as directed, it should be fine. And if it isn’t, you’ll be able to tell because it will either being to mold or ferment somewhere along the line.
I feel like a jerk. I’m so sorry. As I stated, I did not know you answered my question. Old eyeballs, small phone….. didn’t realize it was you. Thanks again.
I made this about 5 days ago. Life happened and I had to abandon the water bath. Things have finally quieted down. Is it still good, can I freeze it? Should I reheat and waterbath? Looking for suggestions. Thanks
I’d reheat the jam and proceed as normal.
Hey there,
I tried this jam and think the spices really give it a nice flavor. However I have some family members with diabetes and worry about adding this much sugar, and it just tastes a bit too sweet for me. Can I leave out half or more of the sugar and still be safe?
The answer to that question is in this post: https://foodinjars.com/2015/02/canning-101-can-reduce-sugar/
Oh… Just left a comment but forgot a question… (Maybe it’s been answered already, sorry if so!)
Have you ever cooked this down using your crockpot, instead of the stove?
I Made a double batch, careful to not let it scorch, and yes… it did take a LONG time! Totally worth it to me, but oh goodness…. a crock pot would make it much simpler, right? Just wondering if that would affect how it thickens, etc…
Also, I forgot to mention that I just threw my tomatoes into the foo processor, (skins on, just cut in halves or quarters), then pureed then dumped into the pot… no dicing. Quicker, less mess, (at least for me!)
^__^
thanks for your thoughts on the crockpot idea…
robin sturm
I’ve never tried making it in the slow cooker, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. You should try it and let us know how it turns out!
this jam is wonderful! SO many tomatoes still growing, ripening, and coming in our garden and this is the perfect way to use them in a new way. I added a little cumin and some balsamic vinegar, but other than that – left it as you have it.
These will be part of the christmas gifts I’m making. (Using your pear vanilla jam in those gift baskets too!).
Your recipes inspire me! I love all things about cooking and this area of preserving foods is my new frontier for discovering recipes that go beyond the basics that I’ve done for years. Thanks for all your creative foodie love and for sharing it!!
Our local farm has Roma’s this time of year for .25 cents a lb and I always get about 80-90 lbs to can and to make tomato jam. Put up 24 1/2 pints of this last year. I double the recipe and it takes about 3-4 hours to cook down at a slow boil. I also add garlic, and a lot of it, to one batch. That would be 16 Tblspn of lime juice for 10 lbs of tomatoes which is plenty to make it acidic enough.
Hi! I have been making your jam recipe for a few years now, and I am absolutely in love with it. I would like to cut down on the sugar content. What is the minimum amount of sugar I can use for this recipe in order for it to be safely canned? Thanks so much!
Reducing the sugar doesn’t impact the safety, but it will effect set and yield. More here: https://foodinjars.com/2015/02/canning-101-can-reduce-sugar/
hi. I’m loving this recipe ant want to try it but don’t have limes. Do you think nelly and joes key bottled lime juice is a good substitute or should I use lemons?
I’m unfamiliar with Nelly and Joe’s lime juice, but as long as it’s a basic lime juice, it should be fine.
so, question: why did you decide to use lime juice instead of lemon juice here? You are including it for its pectin/gelling properties, right? I recall that citrus zest also has pectin in it, so I added some of the zest to the jam as well. And is fresh juice interchangeable with bottled juice?
I made this jam again today. It’s my favorite tomato condiment – I’m ditching homemade ketchup!!
My only reasoning is that I like the flavor of the limes with the tomatoes. And in this recipe, bottled and fresh juices are interchangeable because there’s twice the necessary volume required for safe tomato canning.
Hi Marissa,
This tomato jam is fantastic, I love the idea of using the oven – genius!
I hope you don’t mind that I shared this link and a photo (with full credit) on my canned tomato jam post where I list this recipe as another option for awesome tomato jam. If you prefer not to be included, please let me know! Here’s the link if you want to check it out. http://www.gettystewart.com/tomato-jam/
I don’t mind at all. Thanks for including me!
I just finished making this for the very first time. It tastes just exactly as good as–maybe even better than–it sounded. I used a mix of San Marzano, Black Krim, and Beefeater, and made only minor changes to the recipe–3 cups of sugar, 1.5 tsp of dried ginger, and 2 tsp of red pepper flakes. I got seven 4 ounce jars out of it, plus a little. The first 4 jars are in the canner right now and I’m enjoying some of the “didn’t fit” on butter crackers. I will definitely be making this one again! 🙂
Hi Marisa, I’ve made this Tomato Jam for well over 3 years now. I make it exactly as written and it’s everyone’s Favorite. My question is as I’m making 4 batches, would there be anything technically wrong with cooking a 2 double batches to save time? Or this one of those tricky things that shouldn’t be doubled. You’re awesome!
You could double the batch, but it’s going to take a VERY long time to cook down and you will run the risk of burning the bottom if you’re not militant about continually stirring. So my answer is, you can do it, but there are risks.
I made batches and batches of salsa for husband with our cherry tomatoes because he just loves it. I am SO over salsa but still had tons of tomatoes. I made roasted cherry tomatoes, something else called Tomato Jam but is more like a really flavorful tomato paste, and all kinds of appetizers and still had cherry tomatoes! Then I came across this. I’ve made two batches and now (I can’t believe I’m saying this), I wish I had more cherry tomatoes! I hate skins and seeds but Marissa is right, they have to be in this and its actually good this way. I still have some heirloom and romas left that I was going to just dice and can to use in soups, stews, etc this winter but screw that. I can buy canned tomatoes…I can’t buy this deliciousness anywhere so I’m going to have to make it until I have no more tomatoes left. So far we have just had it with cream cheese on crackers, but I’m going to try it on a pork loin later this week…I can’t wait. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Also, any thoughts on using cranberry juice, with a pH of 2.3-2.52 for acidification of some items?
Esther, it’s not an approved acidification method but that is a similar pH to lemon juice, so I imagine it would serve well.
A few questions. I was thinking of oven roasting the tomatoes a bit before starting.
Several people have added garlic/shallots/onions thereby changing the ph. Are there guidelines as to how to tweek? In other words if I add a cup of onions how many teaspoons/ounces of lemon/lime/vinegar should I add in addition?
For example, in a corn relish recipe I replaced half the peppers with onions (as it had none) because the FDA chart of vegetable ph listed
Onions have a ph between 5.37 and 5.85
Green peppers have a ph of 5.3-5.93
so I figured I could make the substitution.
Have to say, glad i roasted about 2 of the 5 pounds of tomatoes! Slow and low! The tomatoes that I cooked down became uniform in color, but the sun-gold and yellow pear cherry tomatoes that I roasted maintained some of their shape and the cook down time was surely shorter. I love the chunkiness that the slow roasted tomatoes added, much like a nice cherry jam! A hint of caramelization took place as well!
It also solved another problem; some of the tomatoes were ready to use and some needed another day or two, the roasted tomatoes were stored in the fridge until needed and the remaining ripened quite nicely!
There’s no established formula like that. So sorry!
Hi,
I just made this with lemon juice rather than lime. Is that a problem? I also added 3T apple cider vinegar because I found it too sweet. Hopefully, that is enough acid? Thank you. The part that didn’t make it into a jar is going on my eggs in just a few minutes! Lovely!
Lemon and lime juice are typically interchangeable, so it’s fine.
So I used this recipe this summer to put up my endless mounds of cherry tomatoes (food scale is a must!). It turned out a little spicy for me personally, so next time I’ll use a pinch less. BUT, I just used this in place of ketchup to make my meatloaf, and let me tell you, it is amazing! It is impossible for meatloaf to be bland with this in it! I used a half pint in a 2 lbs meatloaf. It is even good as leftovers.
Brilliant idea!
I couldn’t wait any longer and decided to make this jam. Even got some mid-winter tomatoes from a world market to try it out. I did exactly what you had and it’s awesome. I can’t wait to try it with vine ripened tomatoes from the garden or farmers market. Thank you!
I just made this recipe last week, very good but I ended up adding more tomatoes last minute because I found what I had was much much too sweet, do you think this may have offset the pH? I’m new at canning and so nervous about botulism!
It should be fine.
Made this today with yellow grape tomatoes, probably could have cut down on the sugar. I added about a tsp of liquid smoke and that gave it a nice dimension too. I also added some minced garlic. It’s not yet thick like jam (it’s still cooking). Will it thicken when it cools? It’s delicious.
It will thicken some as it cools, but you want to cook it until it is fairly thick. Also, it’s not a great idea to add garlic to products like this, because garlic is low in acid and it could potentially make it unsafe.
Hello – I’ve been grousing around my kitchen for a few weeks about all the tomatoes overflowing from baskets and bowls, not to mention the yummy but overabundant orange and grape cherry tomatoes I wound up with – after not getting my garden in until mid-June. I found this recipe when looking for a way to preserve cherry tomatoes – thank you!!! I made it exactly as directed, although I had to add more pepper and the salt half-way through cooking because my husband misread the directions . . . I have three and a half pints of yummy jam. Can’t wait. I made homemade ketchup this year too – I have three pints of that, and the recipes are quite similar. We’ll be doing some taste comparisons to see what we like better I’m sure.
Does anyone know how to make Tomato Preserves like they do in Tennessee? I lost Mawmaws recipe and I think she used clove sticks and did not use the ginger. She also used pectin. Thanks
Made this yesterday and I’m so glad I tried it! I had some last night with sharp cheddar, so good! I can’t wait to try it on a bagel with cream cheese or on a chicken sandwich. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Made this for the first time today. Wasn’t sure what to expect because I’ve never had tomato jam before – it just sounded good. I cooked it for about 1.5 hours in a cast iron pot. A little worried it’s still too juicy, but the flavor is great. Looking forward to trying it soon. Any suggestions for great combos with this jam would be appreciated.
Thank you, Marissa. You’re a canning Goddess!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I looked over several on-line recipes for tomato jam before deciding on yours. I had an over abundance of tomatoes from my garden. The result is a delicious, savory tomato jam that I will make again soon. I made a few adjustments by adding chopped garlic, shallots, basil, and garlic salt and truffle salt (to replace salt) to my recipe. Also used fresh habanero peppers instead of chili flakes. Kept everything else the same. My yield was 6 half pint jars. Great recipe.
Cheryl, you have to be really careful when adjusting recipes like this one. Adding garlic, shallots, and fresh habanero could potentially make this recipe unsafe, as they are low acid ingredients and so could potentially render the recipe too low in acid for boiling water bath canning.
Made 4.5 pints of 4 lbs of mixed heirloom tomatoes last night, reduced the sugar a bit and kept all the red pepper. Delicious! Thanks for sharing this!
I have a large assortment of cherry, grape, heirloom, Cherokee Purple and yellow/orange tomatoes. Can I use them interchangeably in this recipe? I noticed in the recipe for the Orange Tomato and Smoked Paprika jam, there was added vinegar to add acidity. If I were to use a mix including orange tomatoes in this recipe, would I need to add vinegar, and how much? Thanks!
Good question. I hope someone answers this. I was just going to use whatever tomatoes I have. I was just searching the comment section to see if there are any answers to this.
You can use a mix of tomatoes without making any other changes to the recipe (in this recipe, the lime juice is serving as the acid source). The only thing to know is that it may alter the yield some, because the tomatoes you suggest are higher in water content than the plum/roma tomatoes I used).
I am interested in making some tomato jam. ESPECIALLY since it doesn’t call for seeding or peeling. Is there a conversion available to cook this in a slow cooker? I have a newer slow cooker that has a high/low/warm settings.
Howdy. Farmer Jones here, growing organic veg and canning, in Buda, Tx. I just wanted to say that this recipe is awesome! I have “tweaked” it to a degree, to fit the palette of my audience however, I could never have created such a tomatoey gem, w/our your guidance. Thank you so much for this. I’m selling/sharing/eating this jam like crazy!!!
Wonderful jam! I also tried with a slightly different twist, I added about a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, the peel from 1/8th of a lemon – diced, a teaspoon of lemon pulp, and used whole cloves, but removed the cloves after first 45 minutes (We’re not big on cloves, and they were easy to remove, floated to the top. ). Added a 1/2 teaspoon of Valencia Orange peel (McCormick’s spice). WE LOVE IT !!!!
O.M.G. I made this and as a little on the skeptical side. But when I tasted it I was sold. And sorry I was out of tomatoes to make more. I will be planting more tomatoes this year and THIS is on my list of things to make again and in several batches. On pork chops. On meatloaf. On a spoon.
I followed Gabriela’s ingredient proportions for 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes (from Nov 2013 post) and the jam turned out great! I had never had tomato jam and didn’t know what to expect as far as consistency, so I may have cooked mine down longer than she did because my yield was only a pint and a half. After chilling, it is still spreadable, and since making it yesterday, we’ve had it last night on pork roast that I happened to have going in the crock pot, on scrambled eggs this morning, and then again with the pork as a “BBQ” sandwich for lunch! I haven’t canned anything before and didn’t really have all the right equipment, but I added some Citric Acid to each jar before filling based on the package directions (it caught my eye by the jar display because it was specifically referencing tomatoes) and I think I got the jars boiled well enough. In the end, I’m opting to keep the jars in the fridge because I don’t know if I did everything right, but this recipe is a keeper because we have tons of cherry tomatoes each year. THANK YOU, MARISA, for a wonderful recipe and introduction it canning!
Finnaly made it … Just like the recipe states .
It is one of those love or hate things , I love it.
Thanks for posting this recipe. A great site
Made this but caramelized 3 onions first to add some extra texture/savory goodness. I also added a little cumin. It was amazing. Thanks so much for this great recipe.
Janice, if you added three onions to this recipe, there is probably not enough acid in the jam for it to be safe for canning. I’d recommend putting your jars into the fridge.
I just tried to make this recipe with the Stupice tomatoes from my garden. It has too much liquid so I let it go and now it is too concentrated. Is there anyway to save this giant pot of almost yummy tomato jam?
I’ve made tomato jam (my own recipe) for four years now, always include a lg. chopped (raw) onion to 5 lbs. tomatoes, can it (water bath, 15 minutes), have never had a jar spoil or make anyone sick.
Then you’ve had really good luck. There is not technically enough additional acid in that recipe for the safe inclusion of an onion.
Does anyone know the processing time for pressure canning? I realize I can water bath can this stuff, but honestly, I can process more jars in a shorter amount of time by using a pressure cannr
I made this with about 3 pounds of cherry tomatoes harvested from an abandoned plot at my community garden. I added the following proportions and not only did it come out AMAZING but it filled 12 half pint jars:
3 pounds cherry (about 1/2 pound of them were green)
5 TBS lemon juice (didn’t have lime but bet it’s WORTH it to get it next time!)
2 cups sugar (could still be amazing if I used 1.5 cups instead)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 TBS salt
3/4 TBS flakes
Thank you so much for the recipe – so so delicious. I’m sending them out as Autumn/Winter gifts to friends and family. <3
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I am going to make both of these. I like the less sugar in this one.
I made this using canned crushed tomato. I was looking for a tomato jam that could be used in BLT sandwich so I only used 1 cup sugar and 1 box of “no sugar added” powdered pectin. I used citric acid in place of the lime juice 3/4 teaspoon as I was planning for 5 half pint jars. The results were fantastic. Thanks for the recipe and instructions. BTW — the canned tomato I used did not have calcium chloride as an ingredient only tomato, citric acid and salt. In 2014 I will make this with my own garden tomatoes.
Holy Moly … My life HAS changed with this Tomato Jam …. I think I have put up about 20 jars and am praying for 5 more lbs. of tomatoes from the garden’s last batch this year.
This will be my “go to’ jam next year … We eat it on EVERYTHING ( even just spoonfuls from the jar
This Recipe is Jam from the Gods 🙂
I bought your book and am thrilled, I adore it, it’s my new treasure. It is Stunning and dreamy. I will be making my way thru it, recipe by recipe.
I am a 4th generation canner and preserver and you have brought a new breath of sunshine to the art of “Putting Up” … Thank You Marisa XX and THANK YOU for sharing Tomato Jam !!!! XX
Hi …. looks like a great recipe. I do not have a kitchen scale though …. how many cups would 5 lbs of chopped tomatoes be?
Approximately 12-14 cups.
Had a few overripe tomatoes from the quicksale table at the supermarket so I fiddled the quantities and made a jar. REALLY GOOD. Try it with goat cheese on a nice cracker! I’ll be checking the farmers market in hopes of getting some good local late tomatoes and doing a full batch.
Marisa, I can’t thank you enough for this amazing recipe. I had a harvest of best boy tomatoes this year and have made two batches so far. I plan to make a third because everyone I give this too is demanding more. I’ve been enjoying it with cream cheese and crackers but I ran out of cream cheese and admittedly have resorted to consuming it straight from the jar. Thank you so much!
I really like this recipe, but I wouldn’t mind if it had more of a kick. Can you safely add more ginger? I know ginger is not an acid food, so I am not sure how that would affect the overall acidity of the finished product. Thank you!
Adding a little more grated ginger is fine.
Can this be made in a crock pot? If so, how long would you recommend on a low setting?
If this has already been asked, sorry, I didn’t find it in the comments.
Joy, you could cook it down for a while in a slow cooker, but it does need the heat of the stove top towards the end of cooking in order to concentrate and thicken. I don’t know how long you’d cook it down in a slow cooker to start, though.
Your recipe yielded 8 (8 oz) jars perfectly! I couldn’t imagine what those ingredients would taste like together (cinnamon and tomato??) but WOW!!! I’ll be making another batch next week! It’s gonna be so good warmed up over cream cheese w/ crackers!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Oh, and I used cherry and grape tomatoes!! You’re right, the small seeds work beautifully with this jam!
So glad to hear it!
Woah! Is this stuff good or what?! I got a bushel of canning tomatoes from a local farmer last week and made some ketchup, pasta sauce, tomato paste, and just a few canned tomatoes. I had about 5 lbs left and found this recipe and thought I would give it a try. It is absolutely amazing!!! I can’t wait to use it! After reading the comments I decided to use a bit less sugar (2 1/2 C) and a splash of balsamic and it is perfect! Thanks so much for sharing such a delicious recipe!
Sounds like a delicious variation!
Thank you!! Awesome posts – exactly what I was looking for!
This is crazy, crazy good! I love it on cheese toast (w/ a good, extra sharp cheddar) and pairing it with some smoked goat cheese and thin flatbread is amazing. Fortunately I learned this before tomato season ended and I will make more to get me through the year and for gifts.
Hi, I tried this and it is wonderful but I woud like to know if there is a savory recipe without sugar (like sun dried tomato?). I really like tomatoes without that sugary taste, too.
You’re really talking about a tomato paste or spread. I’m not entirely sure how you’d achieve that and safely can it.
Can it be frozen in small amounts?
Yes.
Thank you for posting this recipe . I made this over the weekend and it is amazing. I took the advice of other people and added little bit of balsamic vinegar to minimize the sweetness. It’s now are go to on everything.