Spiced Tomato Jam Recipes

SPICY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes in a large pot and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes; allow to sit 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from boiling water and place in ice-cold water until cool enough to handle. Slip off skins and stems.
• Coarsely chop the tomatoes in a food processor; reserve any juices and add to chopped tomatoes.
• Combine vinegar, apple juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, mustard, allspice, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a large non-reactive pan over medium heat; cook and stir until sugar dissolves completely; stir in the chopped tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until liquid has reduced by half, 30 to 45 minutes. Add the lemon slices and cook another 15 minutes.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 30 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

SPICY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Start with our step-by-step canning how-to.
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in wide strips, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Squeeze the lemon juice through a strainer into a large, wide saucepan. Add the lemon zest, tomatoes, sugar, cumin, 4 teaspoons salt, the red pepper flakes, cinnamon sticks, cloves and ginger. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are juicy and the sugar dissolves, 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are dark and syrupy and a candy or deep-fry thermometer registers 220 degrees F, 40 to 50 minutes (the timing may vary depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes). Reduce the heat if the mixture starts to scorch. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
• Meanwhile, sterilize four 8-ounce canning jars and lids.
• Fill the jars with the tomato mixture, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, then seal and process.

SPICED TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• 1. Combine tomatoes, juice, peel, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and sugar in Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Place a plate in the freezer.
• 2. Prepare your jars -- wash in sudsy water, then rinse. Place in the canner rack in your stock pot. Fill the pot with water, being sure to cover the jars by 1". Turn the heat onto high. If you achieve a boil before the recipe is done, turn it down to a simmer, maintaining the heat, but trying to prevent loss of liquid to evaporation.
• 3. If you have the room on your stove, place another large pot of water on to boil. Drop your lids in. Once the water boils, turn this down to a simmer, as well.
• 4. After the first hour of simmering, check the jam mixture for consistency. Pull out the plate from the freezer, place a dab of jam on it, then put back in the freezer for 10 minutes. When you pull it out, run a finger through. If the jam mixture doesn't flow back into the trail, it's not ready and should continue to simmer for another 15 minutes, or as the consistency decrees. Repeat as necessary. You can start skimming off any foam with a metal spoon. Continue to do so, right up until ladling into the jars.
• 5. Once consistency has been achieved, use a hand blender to even out the consistency, making it as smooth or clumpy as you desire. Add the liquid pectin. Turn heat up to medium-high, bring to a boil, and boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
• 6. Remove from heat. Pull a hot jar from the stock pot and fill with jam mixture, leaving a 1/4" head room. Wipe the rim clean, pull a jar lid from the other pot, then put a band on, to finger tightness. Place back into the stock pot. Repeat, until jam jars are filled.
• 7. Process as a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (That is, bring the water back to a boil. If it's not longer 1" over the top of the jam jars, pour the cap water in until it is. Add hot tap water, if you still don't have enough.)
• 8. Note - once I achieved the proper consistency, I ended up with exactly 3 1/2-pint jar + 2 pieces of buttered and jammed bread. Prepare more jars, of course, just in case.

CANNED SPICED TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• To Prepare Tomatoes - Wash firm ripe tomatoes. Scald, peel, and chop tomatoes. Place chopped tomatoes in saucepan and heat slowly to simmering, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and burning. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Measure 3 cups of the cooked tomatoes into a large saucepan. Add lemon rind, allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
• To Make Jam - Sterilize canning jars. Add lemon juice to the prepared tomatoes in the saucepan. Measure sugar and set aside. Stir powdered pectin into prepared tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. At once, stir in sugar. Stir and bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Then boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Pour hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner for 5 minutes (10 if your elevation is 1,001 - 6,000 feet and 15 for over 6000).

SPICED TOMATO CHUTNEY (MOUNTAIN JAM)

Steps:

• Purée garlic, ginger, and 1/2 cup vinegar in a blender.
• Heat oil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and add mustard seeds. When seeds begin to pop, stir in fenugreek, cumin, fennel, and nigella. Add garlic mixture, then cook over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes (with juice), remaining 3/4 cup vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer chutney, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 1/2 to 2 hours (lower heat as necessary).
• Transfer chutney to a bowl. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered, at least 1 week to allow flavors to develop.

SPICY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Bring a medium size pan of water to a boil.
• Plunge washed tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds or until skin slips easily when placed in cold water.
• Remove tomatoes from hot water with a slotted spoon and plunge immediately into cold water.
• Cut off tops, remove skin and core (It is not necessary to remove all the seeds but I would recommend removing the core.).
• Cut the tomatoes into fourths, place in container of food processor along with metal blade and pulse 2 to 3 times to chop being careful not to over process.
• Place the tomatoes in a large non-reactive pot or Dutch oven; simmer 10 minutes.
• Add the chili and sugar, stirring to blend; add lemon juice, cilantro and tomato juice stirring to blend.
• Bring to a boil over high heat and stir until sugar dissolves; approximately 1 minute.
• Boil gently for 10 minutes skimming off and discarding any scum that may come to the surface.
• Remove from heat, cover and allow to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 8 hours; overnight is fine.
• Return the tomatoes to heat, bring to a simmer and allow to cook until thick and temperature on candy/jelly thermometer reaches 220 degrees; approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
• Skim off any foam, ladle into hot, clean, half-pint canning jars, and leaving 1-inch of head space.
• Wipe the rim of the jars with clean cloth, place on the lids and rings; put the jars into a water bath canner with boiling water and process for 5 to 10 minutes or as recommended for your altitude.
• Carefully remove the jars from the water and place on countertop on top of a towel.
• Allow jars to cool and check seal; label and store in cool place. Enjoy!
• Note: If you don't have a candy/jelly thermometer; you can use the plate test. Place a small plate in the freezer and allow to chill. Remove plate a drop a small amount of hot jam onto plate, return to freezer for 1 minute. The mixture should hold its shape when touched and not have watery edges.