Tomato Jam

I have a garden, but my tomatoes have been really erratic this year. It is probably from the crazy lack of rain that we had. They have been ripening in batches, so I have been canning them a few pints/quarts at a time.

**Sidebar... For those of you that have never had fresh tomatoes in the middle of the winter, I am sorry for you. Let me encourage you to learn how to can tomatoes! Those chilis and sauces you are bound to make during those cold winter months will be so much better.

This last bunch of tomatoes I got were the ugly ones. There were a few nice ones in the bunch, but most were half ripened or the skin was ugly. These uggos are perfect for making tomato jam. The jam cooks down to an ooey goodness that doesn't discriminate.

Tomato jam sounds gross. It isn't. You can make it however you like. I am not a fan of sweet spreads, so I went savory. The basic components are the same, feel free to experiment! The tomato jam I made would be excellent on crackers with a soft cheese; or as a "topper" for chicken; or on a crostini.

Here are the basic steps, remember, you can add/subract anything you'd like when it comes to the spices.

WASH and chop tomatoes. The smaller you chop, the less chunky your jam will be. I like texture, so I do a large dice. I also leave the skins and seeds because they also encourage texturey goodness.

Dice up some onions. I will give you the exact measurements in my recipe wrap-up. I would say to dice these pretty small. They don't cook down as well as the tomatoes.

Here comes the fun part. Add in the spices that you want. I like to use saffron, crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper, marjoram, and herbs de provence. Keep in mind that if you do not bloom the saffron first, you will get an overwhelming stink when your tomatoes first start cooking. Don't worry, it will go away...the mixing of the tomatoes and onions and herbs will even out. I like to use chipotle pepper flakes because the smokiness works really well with the saffron. I also like to use the herbs de provence that include lavender. This sweet, flowery flavor is just perfect.

Now you just throw all this stuff in a large saucepan, adding sugar, lemon juice and salt.

Bring this to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Allow it to boil hard for about a minute, then reduce to a simmer and let it cook down. How far you want the jam to cook is up to you. I would NOT add pectin to this jam. It will just make it less fresh tasting later on. I had about 5 pound of tomatoes and got less than 3 full pints of jam. Once the jam cooked down I put it in jars and processed them in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Now I can store them and enjoy them whenever. You do not have to can your jam, you can just refrigerate and enjoy!

Here is the recipe wrap-up for 1-1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes. The "substitutable" ingredients will be listed in italics.

1-1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes
1/2 small onion, diced
3/4 c. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. kosher salt
pinch of saffron threads
pinch of marjoram
pinch of herbs de provence
pinch of crushed red pepper
pinch of fresh black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, boil hard for about a minute. Reduce to simmer and cook down do desired consistency. Stir every once in a while.

Are you going to try this recipe? Let me know! Did you make any changes? Do you have any suggestions?