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.
I’ve been making this recipe every fall for probably the last 12 years and it’s my absolute favourite! I can the jam in the smallest mason jars and give away as gifts at Xmas and throughout the year. Family and friends request it (and it’s also great to have jars ready to grab in a pinch when you need to bring snacks to a gathering). I love it on top of cream cheese on crackers. Thank you for this gem of a recipe!!
I am so happy you like it so much!
A definite must to make!! The recipe is delicious!
I am so glad you like it!
Can this be frozen rather than canned? 😬
Yes!
I have been making this recipe of yours for over 10 years. Last year I didn’t can any, so I’m about to make a double batch with tomatoes from my farm. (Yes I double this recipe and it’s ok!) Tomato jam is one of the best things I can, and I am grateful for you bringing it into my life!
I love this recipe but have never remembered to come back and comment. I loved Mark Bittman’s recipe for tomato jam, but if I’m going to go through the effort I really want to be able to preserve a bigger yield by canning. I was so happy to discover this recipe a couple of years ago, because it is very similar (a little less pungent on the spices). I used 5 pounds of Amish Paste tomatoes from the garden, and it took about three and a half hours for them to cook down. I did have the temperature pretty low to make it easier for me to keep an eye on it while I cooked other things and cared for the kids running in and out. My final yield was nine 4-ounce jars. I’ll make this again in about a month with the rest of my tomato crop. I always make a bunch of jelly jars of pepper jelly and tomato jam with the peppers and tomatoes from my garden, and then those are my hostess gifts throughout the year. Our favorite way to eat this jam ourselves is an egg scrambled and folded like an omelette onto a brioche bun with tomato jam and a piece of manchego cheese. A perfect sandwich!
I am so glad to hear you like it so much! Thank you!
Am fairly new to preserving….when simmering the tomatoes – lid on or off?
A friend got me hooked on this recipe.
Thanks
Jan
Lid off! You want the water to evaporate!
I love this recipe and want to remake it. Can I make this using tomato sauce i canned last year instead of fresh tomatoes? I need to use up my tomato sauce lol
I wouldn’t use tomato sauce for this. Tomato jam really likes having the skins and seeds included. When you make it with peeled and seeded tomatoes, the texture isn’t right. Additionally, if you seasoned your sauce, those flavors would probably clash with the tomato jam seasonings.
Can I cook this in a crockpot? How long would it take on low? On high? I know these would be approximations. Thanks
.,
This jam really needs to boil and you don’t really get that in a crock pot. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Delicious! Just love it!
So glad you like it!
I made a test batch and oh my!! It is delish. Double batch going down today. It’s like ketchup, chile sauce and relish in a jar. It might even replace my ketchup this year. Love love love!!!!
It’s one of my favorites too!
I am always on the look out for “unique” jams (Jalapeño Jam, Banana Jam, ect) and when someone at a market told me about this I could not resist! I am not sure what to eat it on but I’m looking forward to giving it a test drive! Thanks so much for the simple and unique recipe!
So glad you like it!
Am I able to add fresh basil to this recipe or would that make it unsafe?
I wouldn’t do it. Fresh basil doesn’t do super well in preserves. It can get black and slimy.
Has anyone ever frozen this jam? I have a bunch of tomatoes to use up and want to make this recipe but no time for canning. Could I partially fill jars and freeze then thaw for Christmas gifts? Thank you for responding.
It freezes beautifully.
I’ve been making this exact recipe for at least 10 years and it is a favorite of mine as well as family members who receive it.I always use Roma tomatoes.
Made this last night and canned it. It made EXACTLY 4 half pints (with the extra tiny spoonfull for tasting!). The only change I made was reduce the clove to 1/4 tsp, as I’m not HUGE on cloves. It’s a fantastic recipe. My picky son even helped me lick the pot clean! BRAVO!
So glad you like it!
My first attempt. Closely followed the directions for acid, salt and sugar. Halved the amount of red pepper flakes, cinnamon,, cloves. Added a half teaspoon of sauce from canned chipotle chile just because it tasted unexpectedly sweet. (I have never tasted tomato jam, so I’m no kind of expert.)
Any way, it turned out deliciously, and I think it likewise would have with the original ingredients.
I’m in love and so grateful for women (and men) who are willing to share their genius and hard work.
Thank you, thank you, Thank you.
So glad you like it!
I made this today after researching recipes. My good friend used to make tomato jam every summer but I lost her last year to a bad surgery. So I made this today and this is absolutely delicious. I always make the recipe the way it is written the first time and then if needed I will tweak it the second if it is worth repeating. I will never change this ever. This is so bloody tasty – once it cooled the small amount I left out we had on crackers with famers cheese (russian cream cheese). Great recipe just as it is. Really great use of spices and well done. Thank you for sharing.
So glad you like it.
I had my doubts that Tomato Jam would be good, but had a ton of fresh tomatoes to use up and decided to give it a try. I’m now back here a week later to print out the recipe and make another batch so I have some for the winter. This is excellent! I’ve had it with egg bites as well as a grilled cheese sandwich, and it’s really delicious. I will definitely be gifting some of this for Xmas this year. As a side note, the chilis really mellow out after cooking, so don’t be afraid to add them. I’m also not a fan of ginger, but it works in this recipe. Try it as it is the first time, and adjust if you want the next time – because there WILL be a next time.
So glad you like it enough to make it twice!
I’ve made many of your recipes from Food in Jars & Preserving By the Pint and am a big fan! Somehow I’ve missed this one and need to rectify that this week!
Can I use habanero peppers instead of red pepper flakes? (Spouse planted them & we have a ridiculous abundance!) Any idea how much to use? I was thinking of letting a whole pepper cook with the tomatoes and to remove it when it was spicy enough. Good idea or not?
Thanks!
P.S. your pear jam with chocolate is AMAZING!
Yes! Cook the jam with the pepper and remove at the end of cooking. That’s the safest way to infuse fresh pepper flavor.
Can I use green cherry tomatoes in this recipe?
Hello! Can I use lemon juice instead of lime?
Thank you-very excited to put my ah gold tomatoes to use!
Yes!
I’ve made this several years & absolutely love it. This year, the canning tomatoes we got from the local farm were all red (vs with some heirloom yellow, green, orange in the mix). The jam is a brilliant ruby red. I cooked it until it was a little thicker than in years past which I think also concentrated the color. Anyway — thank you for this recipe. I’ve been following it faithfully for years and it has never steered me wrong. I think the highest praise was from a cousin who said it tastes/smells like “Christmas in a jar.”
I subbed in figs for the tomatoes. It was equally as tasty.
Sounds amazing!
Can you freeze instead of canning?
Yes. Always. Just make sure to leave extra headspace to account for expansion.
Well, I did the thing I wasn’t supposed to do.
I doubled the recipe.
It wasn’t like I was trying to be a rebel. I somehow missed that recommendation. And yep, because I used objectively watery tomatoes, me cooking down 10lbs of tomatoes and canning them took about 6 hours.
Yes. 6 hours. Please laugh with me so I don’t wonder where a quarter of my day went.
Seriously delicious though. I can see this being a fantastic replacement for ketchup and I kind of want to pair it with goat cheese on some crusty, garlic bread. 10/10, I will make again and never ever ever double again.
I’m so sorry it took so long, but I’m so happy you liked it!
This sounds a great recipe and w
I’ll try it.
I’ve been looking for a recipe for Tomatoe jam that my mum used.
It was Tomatoe jam with raspberry cordial added to it.
It tasted just like raspberry jam.
I’m going back to the 60s when I was a kid.
My mum made it all the time.
Have you heard of this
I’ve not heard of anything like that. So sorry!
This jam has excellent flavor. I do find it a bit too sweet for my taste. Can I reduce the sugar and it still be safe to water bath.
You can reduce the sugar because sugar content doesn’t make things safe or unsafe for the water bath. Only acid content can do that. But know that the more you reduce the sugar the lower your yield will be.
The recipe specifies bottled lime juice. My lime tree is full of limes – any reason to not use fresh lime juice?
BTW, I don’t like tomatoes, but can’t get enough of this jam!
You are supposed to use bottled juice because the bottled product has a consistent acidity. Tomatoes need additional acidification to be safe for boiling water bath canning, and so we need that consistency to provide that. Unfortunately, in this case, I do recommend that you use the bottled product.
Is it OK to use honey in place of sugar? Thanks!
I also have a honey sweetened version on the site. https://foodinjars.com/recipe/classic-tomato-jam-sweetened-honey/
I came across this recipe back in May and thought it sounded delicious. Finally made it yesterday and it did not disappoint! I used Roma tomatoes and it made a delicious thick jam. I was a bit nervous adding in cloves but that and the cinnamon make it taste fantastic. Wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I am so happy you like it!
I made it from fresh farmers market organic tomatoes and it turned out divine. It has just the right amount of heat and sweetness to where I had to control myself from adding additional ingredients. Looking forward to giving these out
I am so glad you like it!
This is one of the best of the many jam, preserves, and relish recipes I make each season, and is the absolute favorite of several of the relatives that enjoy them. I usually reduce the red pepper flakes just a bit but still leave it spicy. It’s so great on a juicy burger, and also as an accompaniment to strongly flavored cheeses on a charcuterie board.
I’m so glad you like it!
Wow! Awesome Recipe. I’ve been canning for many years now. Never have I had such an overwhelmingly positive response to my canned goods as I have for this recipe.
I have made it with plum tomatoes, Marzano’s and even made them during the winter with the large buckets of grape tomatoes I get from Costco. ALL came out great!
There is absolutely no reason to use pectin in this recipe, in fact I think it would ruin it. Part of what makes the flavor great is due to cooking it down to the correct consistency and concentrating all the flavors.
This is awesome as a condiment on grilled salmon or grilled chicken, on eggs/omelettes, on sandwiches, & on a tomato and burrata salad (yummy!). So versatile.
Be sure to make a lot!! Folks definitely get surly when they run out!
Marisa, Thank you so much for this recipe. I had tried tomato jam earlier last year and searched to recreate it for canning, I was thrilled to find it on your site bcs I knew that you’d make sure it was canning safe and I’d be able to safely can it via waterbath canning.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! I’m trying it for the first time and decided to be brave and make some jars for little Christmas gifts for neighbors. But I did not know that I needed to process them in a boiling water canner. I also didn’t have enough to fill the jar to 1/4 full. I had to leave about an inch or more in each jar. Can I safely give these to people but tell them to use within a few weeks of opening? Or is it not safe at all without the boiling step? Thank you!
You can keep them in the fridge and give them, telling people they need to be refrigerated upon receipt.
Our family loves this on burgers and in grilled cheese. It’s amazing!!
So glad you like it!
Is it okay to use fresh juice instead of bottled?
Yes. Because this recipe uses twice the amount of lemon juice required for safety, the quantity makes up for any variation in acid content.
I wonder how often you read these!? I read your post about reducing sugar. Good stuff. I also noted that you were writing a book about natural alternatives. What would the challenges be if you substituted honey for the sugar (at whatever the appropriate ratio is)
I check in on comments pretty regularly. And the book about natural sweeteners is called Naturally Sweet Food in Jars. It came out in 2016. Typically when I swap honey for sugar, I use 2/3 the amount of honey in place of the sugar, as it is sweeter. There is also a honey sweetened version of this recipe here on the blog. https://foodinjars.com/recipe/classic-tomato-jam-sweetened-honey/
Can you use ground powder ginger?
You can, though it won’t be quite the same.
I did increase to 7 lbs of tomatoes. Slightly increased the rest of ingredients but not much. Hope it’s ok. I just now saw this note about not doubling. It’s not doubled though. Fingers crossed
It should be okay, though the intensity of the flavors may be reduced.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
I won a prize with this recipe in the Tottenham Food and Produce show a few years back.
Glad to hear it!
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 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.
Wondering can I use frozen plum tomatoes and do I drain the liquid when thawing
That should be okay.
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.
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.