A few years back, a good friend gave me a small jar of tomato jam. I have been craving it ever since. However, all the recipes I found have just too much sugar in them. Darn it! So, me who-does-not-follow-recipes, made up my own. My first batch was heavenly; this second batch uses red wine for a bit of that sweet flavor. If you don’t use red wine, no big deal. You won’t have to cook as long to reduce the jam. Makes 10 quarter pint jelly jars.
Ingredients
4 lbs roma tomatoes
2 tblsp dry red wine
2 tblsp lemon juice
OPTIONAL 2 tblsp raw cane sugar or sugar alternative
Olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tblsp ground cumin             Â
1 tblsp sweet paprika
2 tblsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste
Directions
Peel the tomatoes using this method – I used to prefer the poaching method. Roasting will add to flavor which works for a dish focused on a savory flavor. I have found that freezing tomatoes completely changes their flavor. To roast, cut tomatoes horizontally, scoop out seeds, roast face down for 30min at 400◦.
Pour just enough olive oil to sauté the shallots until soft but not brown, add garlic and cook about a minute longer. Add the tomatoes and rest of ingredients. Reduce heat to simmer and stir occasionally to break down the tomatoes. Cook until it is consistency of a thick jam, about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how hot your range cooks. If you don’t use sugar or agave, then it may take a bit longer to thicken.
When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. I added a splash of lemon juice to make sure the acid content was safe. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.
For a spicier jam, add a teaspoon (or more according to your taste!) of finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper or crushed red pepper flakes.
#TomatoJam #canning #gardenfresh
Bon Appétit!
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