How to Make Savory Tomato Jam

Savory Tomato Jam might sound odd, at first. This condiment recipe adds an extra layer of flavor to many dishes. A mound of this tomato jam atop chicken, fish or creamy polenta are perfect ways to enjoy end-of-summer tomatoes.

Tomato Jam? That’s what my husband’s reaction was, when I started making this on a Sunday afternoon.  This recipe wasn’t developed for toast and jam!  I was inspired to make a Savory Tomato Jam after I had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant.  The dish was a lemon-rosemary marinated grilled chicken breast, served over a risotto cake with tomato jam.  I loved it!  But, that special is no longer on the menu, and I was pining for more.

I spotted these beauties at Whole Foods, and it was already October. I grabbed a couple of baskets and decided that these were destined for my own version of tomato jam. After surfing the internet, most of the recipes I saw had heat from hot pepper– and I didn’t have a jalapeno in my fridge, anyway.  My taste buds were leaning towards more of a  combination of sweet and sour.  I reviewed my recipe for Peach Chutney, and then I jumped in and started to throw things together:

Start with two pints of organic tomatoes.  Wash  them, then add to a non-stick pot, and seasoned them with coarse salt & pepper. I decided to use brown sugar– about a 1/2 cup.

Start with one small diced onion to the mix and enough water to cover the tomatoes. I didn’t measure, but I’d guess about 2 cups of water.  Bring the tomatoes to a boil, and then down to a low simmer.   The tomatoes will release their pectin. After a few minutes, give the jam a taste. Personally, the taste was a bit too sweet and one dimensional. (Hence, I recommend using 1/4 cup of sugar to start with).

I decided to add some thyme, red pepper flakes,  and the juice of 1/2 fresh lemons.  Much better!

I let the jam simmer for about 20 more minutes.  This photo makes the pot look like I burned the jam. I almost did, but I got it in the nick of time.  Lesson learned: pay very close attention when reducing something with sugar in it!  I had already been in the middle of canning apple sauce, so I poured the tomato jam into a sterilized jar and the the top sealed with a reassuring “click”.  I stored this in the fridge, and two weeks later, I made this recipe with it:

This is a pan-fried chicken breast, served over polenta with a fantastic sauce (I will share that next).  The tomato jam was the perfect topping, for this dish. In fact, my husband raved about how good the tomato jam tasted– it was his favorite part of the dish.   There’s still 1/2 jar of this tomato jam left, and I have another idea…I’ve shared this chicken recipe, and you can view it here.  I decided to, first, post how I made the tomato jam, so that my post wouldn’t be too long.  It’s a delicious condiment, with just the right balance of sweet and sour.  I thinking that adding more heat with a jalapeno could work, too.  If  you’ve never tried cooking down tomatoes, as a condiment, I encourage you to do so.   I plan on making more of this recipe, so that I can enjoy tomatoes year-round.

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5 from 1 vote

Savory Tomato Jam

Tomato Jam? That might seem odd, but think of this as a condiment that
adds an extra layer of flavor to many dishes. It's great on seafood,
too. I made this recipe when I had a dish, at a local restaurant, that
had a lemon-rosemary grilled chicken, served on risotto cakes with a
dollop of tomato jam. I loved it so much, that I went home to figure out
how to make it myself. I think I succeeded! For example, place a mound
of this on seasoned grilled chicken. Delicious!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Condiment, Side Dish

Keyword: Tomato Jam

Servings: 1 pint

Calories: 60kcal

Author: Debby – www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

• 2 pints small tomatoes cherry and/or pear; about 4 cups
• 2 tsp coarse salt & a few twists of the pepper mill
• 1/4 cup brown sugar can increase, up to 1/2 cup, if you like it sweeter
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 cups water or enough to just cover the tomatoes
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1-1/2 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

• Wash tomatoes and drain.
• Add tomatoes to a pot and season with salt & pepper.
• Add the sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.
• Add approximately 1-1/2 cups water, or enough to just cover the tomatoes.
• Add the juice of 1/2 lemon and thyme (can use fresh, if desired, but double the amount)
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduced to a low simmer.
• Allow to reduce until thickened, and most of the water has evaporated–time varies between 20-30 minutes, possibly more. Just watch it carefully so that it doesn’t dry out and burn.
• Can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for a couple of weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 285mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 601IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @afeastfortheeyes or tag #afeastfortheeyesblog!

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