Recipe: Tomato Jam

Tomato Jam with brie on crackers.

Tomato jam would make a nice accompaniment to our onion jam if you’re putting together a fancy sandwich. It also goes great on a cracker with a smear of brie. No need to peel or seed the tomatoes; everything will meld in the delicious mush you’re about to create. Makes a scant 1 c.

Ingredients:
2 lbs meaty tomatoes (Roma or San Marzano preferred), cored and coarsely chopped
2 T lemon juice
2 T dark brown sugar
2 t crushed ginger
1 t Kosher salt
½ t cumin (seed or ground)
½ t cinnamon
A generous grind of black pepper (maybe ¼ t)
½ t cracked red pepper (optional)

We don’t worry about the occasional bit of skin or seeds because it’s jam, not jelly.

Method: mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on low heat, stirring frequently. Initially the tomatoes will throw off a lot of liquid, then they will begin to break down. Reduce heat to a very low simmer and continue to cook, stirring frequently to avoid sticking in the pan, until liquid is almost gone. This might take as much as 2 hours. Cool and refrigerate until used; will probably keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.