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Easy Sweet & Savory Tomato Jam

A quintessential taste of summer in an unconventional recipe. Spread it on a piece of heavily-buttered rye bread for a unique treat.

Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, dinner, lunch, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword canning, jam, preserving, tomatoes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 lbs ripe tomatoes (about 5 large)
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 2-3 grinds black pepper
  • big pinch sea salt
  • 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Using a paring knife, cut out the stem end of each tomato, then slice a shallow X in the bottom.

  2. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water until their skins loosen, about 30 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let cool. When cool enough to handle, slip off their skins. Discard the water, but save the saucepan for cooking the jam.

  3. Halve the tomatoes at their equator and gently squeeze out the seeds and juice. Cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) pieces.

  4. Return the tomatoes to the saucepan and stir in the sugar, pepper, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to ensure that the mixture is cooking evenly, until most of the liquid has cooked off. If foam occasionally rises to the top, skim it off with a large spoon. If you wish to use a candy thermometer to gauge doneness, when ready, the temperature of the jam should register 220°F (105°C) degrees. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

  5. Ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly, let cool, and refrigerate. The jam will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.