During this time of the year, preserving food is my passion. Personally, I am obsessed with tomatoes. When I find myself up to my armpits in these delightful orbs, I consider it my mission to put up the bounty in many variations. Soup, roasted sauce, whole pastes, confi, juice, Bloody Mary mix, chutney and jam line our pantry shelves. Tomatoes are so versatile. It’s a great way to experience summer in a jar all winter long.
In the past we have grown as many as 3,200 tomato plants. Val has always found it challenging to scale back the farm, but aging and this year’s Covid pandemic has forced us to cut back out of necessity. So we settled on 850 plants, hoping it was enough for our personal needs and sharing with friends who also preserve food during high season. Why I worried that it might not be enough was beyond me! We had enough and then some.
If you haven’t tried a savory jam before, this is the recipe for you. No far out ingredients, easy to make and delicious on roasted chicken or beef. You can also spread it on a wheel of Brie or Camembert cheese, pop it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes and you have a tasty and beautiful appetizer to spread on cracker or crusty bread. Or if you really want to push the envelope a little, my dear friend Dana suggests you slice sweet potatoes into disks, brush with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes; allow to cool. Place a small slice of Brie on each disk and top with tomato jam. One big mouthful of yum!!
Macerate your tomatoes overnight in sugar and salt to release their juices.
After bringing tomatoes to a boil, add garlic, fresh thyme and red pepper flakes.
TOMATO JAM
INGREDIENTS:
4 pounds paste tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (you can also try white wine or tarragon vinegar)
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
Toss tomatoes, sugar and salt together in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Let sit at least 30 minutes or up to overnight, tossing to coat periodically to dissolve sugar. (I let it macerate overnight, to release as much juice as possible.)
Add the vinegar to the tomatoes, and bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and thyme leaves.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and cook the jam. Using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, stir the jam occasionally, then more frequently as the jam starts to thicken. Do this until most of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes have begun to break down, and the mixture resembles a very thick, shiny tomato sauce, 45-60 minutes. It’s important at this stage to keep stirring constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking.
To test for thickness, spoon a bit of jam onto a chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it. It should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If not continue cooking jam and check every 10 minutes.
It this point you can water bath can in 1/2 pint or 1/4 pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
Yield: 4 half pints
Beautiful tomato jam ready for enjoyment.
“Autumn….make a double demand. It asks that we prepare for the future–that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go–to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness.”—Jean Abernethy
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