This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Tomato Jam is both savory and sweet with a deep rich flavor. Chunks of fresh tomatoes are cooked down into an incredibly luscious jam!
Making this easy and delicious Tomato Jam is an annual ritual at our house.
We typically cook up a batch every summer, when we have an abundance of tomatoes from our backyard garden. We eat some of the jam right away and can the rest – always thinking that those jars will last us all winter and spring until tomato season arrives once again.
But our Tomato Jam is so delicious we always go through it much quicker than we anticipate!
Why is Tomato Jam so good?
Tomato jam is both savory and sweet with deep rich color, and flavors reminiscent of a chunky gourmet ketchup or a tomato chutney – but SO MUCH better!
Tomatoes and onions are slowly cooked down in a mixture of granulated and brown sugars, cider and balsamic vinegars, lemon juice, salt, coriander and cumin. We also add a generous amount of chopped basil to the mixture which really sends this Tomato Jam over the top.
Your taste buds won’t know what hit them after your first taste. Tomato Jam is fantastic on lots of foods: burgers and hot dogs, grilled steak and pork chops, buttered English muffins, or even baked into these buttermilk corn muffins as a savory-sweet filling. I also think this would great on a grilled cheese sandwich, or with crackers and cheese on a charcuterie board.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Fresh tomatoes – We show Roma tomatoes in our photos below, but any fresh tomato can be used in this recipe, including small cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Sugar – We add both white granulated and brown sugar to the jam mixture. Both add sweetness, while the brown sugar adds a deeper, molasses-like caramelization.
- Lemon Juice – A splash of lemon juice brightens sweetened tomatoes.
- Apple Cider Vinegar & Balsamic Vinegar – Each vinegar helps balance the overall flavors of the jam, and the balsamic vinegar adds depth and richness.
- Spices – A combination of ground cumin and coriander adds more depth of flavor.
- Fresh Basil – The flavors of fresh basil and tomatoes go so nicely together, and this jam is no exception. Don’t skimp on flavor by using dried basil – it won’t be the same.
How do you make Tomato Jam?
- If using larger tomatoes, blanch, peel and de-seed them before roughly chopping. Then place the tomatoes in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. If you are using cherry or grape tomatoes – just add them to the pot – skin, seeds and all. (The tender skins will cook down, giving the Tomato Jam a nice chunky consistency.)
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot – chopped onions, fresh basil, both sugars, both vinegars, cumin, coriander, salt, and lemon juice.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for two or three hours (or more if needed – juicier tomatoes will need more time) until the mixture reduces to a thick jam. Be sure to stir fairly frequently so the mixture doesn’t burn.
- Once reduced and thickened, you should have about four cups of Tomato Jam in the pot. Note that the jam will thicken more once it’s chilled.
- Ladle into eight-ounce jars and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Or, ladle into sterilized jars and can for longer storage. (We used the water bath method and boiled for ten minutes.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- My jam has reduced but it doesn’t seem “jammy”. Is that going to be a problem? No – as mentioned above, the jam thickens more once it is chilled. There is no pectin in this recipe so the consistency is more like a thick relish than a fruit jam. As long as you’ve reduced the liquids, you should be good!
- Can I make this Tomato Jam with canned tomatoes instead of fresh? We haven’t tried making this jam with canned tomatoes ourselves, so I can’t say for sure how this jam will turn out. I suspect you’d need to make some other adjustments to the recipe to make it taste the same.
- Can I freeze this jam instead of canning? We haven’t tried freezing this jam ourselves – but it could work. (I’d suggest try it with a small batch first to see how it thaws.)
- Can I make Tomato Jam in a slow cooker? No, this won’t work in a slow cooker. Since a slow cooker is a covered cooking vessel, it won’t allow the liquids to reduce to the jam consistency that you want.
This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in August 2013. We’ve updated the photos and post but the delicious recipe remains the same. (Scroll down to read all of the rave reviews!)
You may enjoy these other tomato recipes:
- Green Tomato Relish
- Italian Tomato Sauce
- Tomato Pie
- Stewed Tomatoes
- Poached Cod with Tarragon and Cherry Tomatoes
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Tomato Jam
Ingredients
4 pounds plum tomatoes, or other tomato varieties such as grape or cherry
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup sweet onion such as Vidalia, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 cup cider vinegar
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Clean tomatoes, removing any stems. Cut an X in each tomato end with a sharp knife.
- Prepare an ice water bath.
- Bring four quarts of water to a boil in a non stick pot. Keep the heat on full and drop the tomatoes in. When the skin starts to peel, remove them to the ice bath. Empty the water, you will reuse the pot.
- Work over a sheet pan and peel the skins off the tomatoes. Then squeeze the stem end to pop out the stem. (It’s a squeeze, twist and pull motion to remove the stem. Depending on the variety of tomatoes, you may also need to squeeze out the seeds.) Roughly chop the tomatoes and place them back into the dry pot.
- Add all of the other ingredients to the chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the mixture for about two to three hours or until it reduces to a thick jam. Make sure you don’t let it burn. The cooking time depends on the amount of liquid in the variety of tomatoes you use so the timing is not an exact science however the finished product will be about 4 cups (one quart).
- Store in 8 ounce glass canning jars (follow complete canning steps shown here) or store in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Liz Otte says
I have never even heard of tomato jam before my elderly neighbor told me her grandmother used to make it. I decided I should try it out, and my trusty Pinterest to the rescue! This recipe is AMAZING. I can eat it by the spoonful, but I imagine I’ll spread some on biscuits or a sliced baguette. I am definitely adding this one to my summer tomato recipe repertoire.
Martha says
So glad you enjoyed the jam Liz! (We eat it by the spoonful too!) 🙂
Gillian Mala'efo'ou says
Is it possible to freeze the tomato jam?
Martha says
Hi Gillian – We haven’t tried it ourselves but if you try it, please let us know how it comes out!
Lennie says
What do u use tomato jam for?
Martha says
Hi Lennie – It can be used like a ketchup or a condiment. We’ve also added it to a grilled cheese which was delicious!
lydia says
Made the tomato jam. Took almost 4 hours but so, so worth the wait. Seriously delicious, I keep digging into the jar. Really addictive and really loving it. Am so keeping the recipe. Thank you!!
Martha says
You’re welcome Lydia! So glad you liked it!
Wanda Maddox says
Hi I have a ? for you. Have you ever use this tomatoe jam in the slow cooker?
Martha says
Hi Wanda – No…the slow cooker won’t allow the moisture of the tomatoes to cook off. You’ll need to cook it on the stove. Sorry!
Michelle says
I made this a couple of weeks ago with my mom….we made 2 double batches so 16lbs of tomatoes….Oh my! it is to die for. We’ve already eaten 2 jars. Tomatoes by the bushel are on sale where I am and me and a friend just froze a bushel so we can make more jam in the fall. I’m thinking teachers gifts!!! I’ve actually just taken a spoonful and eaten it right out of the jar its so good. I will be making this for years to come! Thanks for the recipe.
Martha says
You’re very welcome Michelle! So glad you are enjoying the recipe as much as we do!
Carol says
I made this yesterday using a coworker’s bounty of cherry tomatoes and my husband raved the entire time he was “tasting” through it. He immediately had it on his scrambled eggs for dinner that night and was reluctant to let me bring some in to work with cheese and crackers for the crew the next day. Now I need to hit the farmer’s market for lots more cherry tomatoes so I can “put up” a few jars for the winter. I’m not sure it will make it that long.
Martha says
LOL – your husband sounds exactly like our son-in-law…he wanted the jar we gave them all for himself! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. (We’re due to make our annual batch this weekend!) Have a great day Carol!
Becki Wagoner says
Making tomato jam asee speak.My kitchen smells yummo! First had this at a farm to fork dinner on a cheeseburger and fell in live with the flavor!! Can’t wait to taste test!!!
Martha says
We hope our recipe is as good as the one you ate at your dinner Becki!
Jen says
Hi! I really want to try this, however, I am not growing tomatoes (or anything else). Do you have any tips on where I can find cherry or grape tomatoes in bulk? Thanks!
Martha says
Hi Jen – A club store is probably the place to go for the largest consumer packages. Or – if you happen to have a Restaurant Supply near you, that’s another option, but I think you need a business ID to shop there. The other place you could try is a local farmer’s market – or a local farm stand – this is the type of recipe that you can make with less-than-perfect tomatoes and I bet you could get a great deal on some less-than-perfect tomatoes that they don’t want to put out to sell. (I hope that helps!)
Kathy Haan says
I used beefsteak tomatoes we got from the neighbors so it took longer to reduce, but it was still SO SO SO SO good. I added it to coconut sticky rice, and also put it on a baguette with soup. Out-of-this-world. Thank you!
Martha says
You’re very welcome Kathy – so glad you enjoyed the jam! (Love the idea of serving it on sticky rice!)