With summer coming to an end, I have a ton of tomatoes from my garden. Instead of making the usual Vegan Marinara Sauce, I decided to make some tomato jam. The first time I ate tomato jam at one of my favorite vegan restaurants in San Diego, I thought I died and went to heaven. Since I love tomatoes, and I adore jam, I made homemade sweet and savory tomato jam for my lentil burgers.
Sometimes, people shrug with the thought of making jam. Not all jams require boiling jars and canning. My savory jam, for instance, is made quickly and without any hassle at all. In fact, it requires very few ingredients.
But, you may ask what can I use this jam for? Once you try tomato jam, you will smear it on everything!
WHAT CAN I USE THIS SWEET AND SAVORY JAM FOR?
- Skinny Veggie Tofu Scramble
- Vegetable Panini w/ Vegan Pesto
- Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Great condiment for any vegan burger
- Mix with my Skinny Vegan Cream Cheese and use it as a dip
- Top tomato jam on my Vegan Meatloaf
- Add to the top of Vegan Chili with a little Vegan Sour Cream
- Or smear it on your favorite toast for breakfast
- Chickpea Omelette
- Beet Burger
- Tofu Burger
- Whisk into your favorite vinaigrette
- Garnish for Vegan Crab Cakes
- Use on pizza instead of pizza sauce
- Add avocado for a relish
- Or smear on a Vegan BLT
Most people think of jam as a sweet treat, but tomato jam is the perfect mix of sweet and savory, which I love!
HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SAVORY TOMATO JAM
Although tomatoes are perfect this time of year, canned tomatoes can always be used in a pinch. So, don't worry if you don't have a ton of tomatoes on hand, because I provide an alternative to fresh tomatoes. Of course, this jam begins with tomatoes. For this tomato jam recipe, I chose Roma tomatoes.
I like Roma tomatoes because they have thicker skin and less liquid inside. Yet, they are sweet with high acid content. In my opinion, the marriage between sweet and savory come together with Roma tomatoes.
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED
- Fresh Roma tomatoes (or Pomi Chopped Tomatoes)
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Maple Syrup
- Corriander
- Cumin
- Lemon juice (fresh is best)
- Ginger (fresh)
In order to use fresh tomatoes, they first need to be boiled for a mere 30 seconds. Then I toss them in ice water to make the skins easy to remove. After that, I dice the tomatoes. If using canned tomatoes, boiling isn't necessary.
COOK TOMATO JAM LOW AND SLOW TO MAKE IT THICK AND TASTY
The trick to sweet and savory tomato jam is cooking it low and slow. Once the tomatoes are diced, I simply add all the spices and maple syrup, bring it to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer. Next, I let it cook for 1 hour, stirring every so often. As the jam simmers, the liquid dissipates and the tomato mixture turns to jam.
Once the jam is thick and jammy, I allow it to cool to room temperature and then place in a jar to refrigerate until I'm ready to serve.
As soon as you try this sweet and savory jam, you'll be hooked!
Tomato Jam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Roma tomatoes boiled, skins removed and diced (or 1 26.46 container of Pomi chopped tomatoes or your favorite canned tomatoes)
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 inch fresh ginger grated
- ½ lemon juiced
Instructions
- Add whole tomatoes to a pot and cover with water and add 1 teaspoon salt
- Bring water to a boil, and boil for 30 seconds
- Immediately, drain tomatoes and place in an ice bath (cover in ice water) until tomatoes are cool enough to touch, and then remove the skins of each tomato.
- Then, diced tomatoes
- If using canned tomatoes, skip the above steps
- Place diced tomatoes in a medium saucepan and add all the other ingredients.
- Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer
- Cook for 1 hour, stirring every once in a while until all liquid dissipates and the tomato mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.
- Transfer into a jar or container of choice, cover, and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Tomato jam will last 5 days refrigerated.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Marcia McGrath
If using canned tomatoes, I assume they need to be drained before using them?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marcia, if using canned tomatoes, you do not need to drain them. The fluid will cook-off. You can drain them, however, to expedite the process. I hope you enjoy the tomato jam recipe.
Brenda
Love tomato Jam. I can it to enjoy all year long.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Brenda! I love it too. This is just a speedy recipe for those who don't can. You should share your canned recipe on our Facebook page for everyone.
Anonymous