You’re going to love my easy recipe for old-fashioned Tomato Jam. It’s sweet and spicy with complex yet familiar flavors that can transform even the simplest food into something delicious. This “grown-up ketchup” is the perfect accompaniment for everything from hamburgers and hot dogs to steaks and chicken.
I’m going to tell you something today that I’ll bet you don’t know about me. I love ketchup. Adore it. I eat it like a six-year-old. On french fries, on hash browns, on hamburgers. And, yes, on steak. Especially on steak, much to the chagrin of steak houses all around this area. It’s just not a steak to me without my ketchup.
This Tomato Jam recipe is what I like to call “grown-up ketchup.” It has the usual sweet, spicy, tomato-ey taste of ketchup, but is it ever kicked up a notch or three!
This jam is so good it will make you want to rush over the stove to cook something just so you can have a spoonful of this on the side. No kidding.
Use this as a condiment with anything where you’d normally serve ketchup. It’s great on a burger, especially a turkey burger. It’s fantastic with roast chicken and really wakes up your breakfast hash browns. The flavor is rich and tangy, with a spicy kick from the red chili flakes.
It also makes a great appetizer – spread a cracker or toasted slice of baguette with a little goat cheese and top with a bit of tomato jam – yum!
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop
Total Time: 3 Hours (mostly hands-off)
Servings: 32
Primary Ingredient(s): Cherry tomatoes, sugar, lime, spices
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It’s made from scratch using simple ingredients and no preservatives.
- The sweetness and spice levels can be adjusted to suit your taste.
- It makes a great gift for family and friends and is a great hostess gift for a barbecue or party.
- It tastes wonderful on top of meats like burgers, steaks, and chicken, or on your favorite sandwiches.
- It can even be used at breakfast on top of eggs or hash browns!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“I just made this with cherry toms from my garden – it was my first ever jam and it was SO easy and tastes really good!”
— Clare
Ingredient Notes
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- Cherry tomatoes — These are the star of the show. Be sure to choose ones that are ripe but firm to the touch and free of blemishes.
- Sugar — You’ll need white, granulated sugar, which acts not only to sweeten and thicken the jam, but also as a natural preservative.
- Lime zest and juice — Adds a fresh acidic kick.
- Fresh ginger, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves — Typical spices for any ketchup, even commercial ones, use these.
- Red pepper flakes — Add a subtle heat to the jam that you can customize to suit yourself.
- Salt — Balances the flavors.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Tomato Jam
You’ll need 2 1/2 pounds of tomatoes for this recipe. You can use any type of tomatoes that are available, but I prefer cherry tomatoes and often mix red and yellow. If cherry tomatoes aren’t available, I’d recommend plum tomatoes (Roma) as an alternative.
👉 PRO TIP: I prefer cherry tomatoes for this recipe because they are juicier and have thinner, more tender skins than grape tomatoes. If you do use grape tomatoes, Romas, or other varieties, you may find that you need to puree the finished jam with an immersion blender or either press it through a sieve to remove any tough skins.
- Begin by cutting the tomatoes in half or into quarters, depending on their size. The goal is to keep the pieces fairly uniform so they’ll cook down evenly.
- Place the tomatoes in a large, heavy-bottomed non-reactive pot such as a Dutch oven. Add the sugar, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and red pepper flakes.
👉 PRO TIP: If you’re wondering what “non-reactive pot” means, it refers to the kind of metal that a pot or pan is made from. Aluminum, cast iron, and copper are reactive metals; stainless steel, ceramic, glass, and enamel-coated cookware are non-reactive. Certain foods, when cooked in reactive pots, can pick up a metallic flavor or change colors. Tomatoes just happen to do that, so you’d want to use a non-reactive pot (such as an enameled Dutch oven) for this recipe.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil (that’s a boil that can’t be stirred down). Once it reaches that point, reduce the heat and keep it at a steady simmer.
👉 PRO TIP: Do not cover the pot while the jam is cooking. The moisture needs to be able to evaporate in order for the jam to thicken.
- Continue cooking for one to two hours, stirring regularly. The tomatoes should soften, and the mixture thicken into a jam-like consistency. Depending on how fast the simmer is, the cooking time could extend to three hours or more.
- Check the texture and stir occasionally until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. It should look thick and glossy.
👉 PRO TIP: Check the progress and stir occasionally until you achieve your desired consistency. I like mine very thick. My cooking time is sometimes closer to four hours because I keep my temperature very low. I’d rather cook it lower and longer so I don’t have to watch it so closely. If you simmer at a higher temperature, you’ll need to watch very carefully to avoid scorching the jam.
- Once cooking is complete, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.
- Spoon the finished jam into clean jars and store in the refrigerator.
- This recipe yields about two pints, and a serving is 2 tablespoons.
This is not a canning recipe.
It is not suitable for water bath processing.
This product is not safe to place in a jar and store on a pantry shelf. It must be refrigerated.
Recipe Tips
- Cooking time will depend on your simmering temperature and desired thickness. It may take 3 hours or more for the mixture to reach the correct consistency.
- Make sure to use a clean, sanitized jar for storage.
- This is not a canning recipe. It’s not shelf-stable and must be stored under refrigeration, not in the pantry.
Variations
- Change the color by using all yellow cherry tomatoes.
- Add a dash of liquid smoke for a smoky tomato jam.
- Stir in a bit of curry powder for a curried tomato jam to use in Indian dishes.
- Use lemon juice and zest instead of lime for a bright citrus flavor.
- For a more Asian flavor, add a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.
Storing and Freezing
- Storing: Store the cooled jam in sealed jars in the fridge. Use within 3 weeks.
- Freezing: You can freeze the cooled jam in a freezer-safe zip-top bag or plastic container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight before using.
More Recipes You’ll Like
- One of my go-to sides when tomatoes are in season is Garlic Fried Tomatoes, lightly cooked in a skillet until tender and finished with plenty of garlic to keep things interesting.
- I like to make this Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce for a quick springtime dinner. It’s fast and full of flavor.
- Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup is the kind of recipe you’ll reach for when the weather turns cool and you want something that tastes like it took all day, even if it didn’t.
- This Home Canned Tomatoes method is USDA-approved for safety. It’s great for preserving that fresh summer tomato flavor to use all year long in soups, sauces, and stews.
- Fried Tomatoes with Cream Gravy
- Air Fryer Taco Burgers
- Tomato and Roasted Garlic Soup
- Roasted Tomato Sandwich
Questions About Tomato Jam
Glad you asked! It’s actually great on a grilled cheese sandwich. Or try it on buttered toast with cream cheese. Some people like to use it as an on-the-side condiment with meat pies, particularly beef. You can also use it as the topping on a meatloaf, or on a meatloaf sandwich. Basically, anywhere you’d use ketchup, you can use tomato jam.
I personally like using cherry tomatoes because they don’t have as much juice as other tomatoes. The juicier the tomatoes, the longer you’ll have to cook your jam to get to a thick, sticky consistency.
In order for the jam to thicken, the moisture needs to evaporate off during cooking. Because slow cookers hold moisture in, I don’t recommend using a slow cooker for this recipe.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Tomato Jam
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds cherry tomatoes halved (about 4 pints)
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- Grated zest of 1 lime
- 4 tablespoons lime juice about 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in half or quarters depending on their size.2 ½ pounds cherry tomatoes
- Combine the tomatoes, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt and red pepper flakes in a large non-reactive pot.1 ¾ cups sugar, Grated zest of 1 lime, 4 tablespoons lime juice, 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
- Bring the mixture up to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Do not cover the pot.
- Cook for 1 to 2 hours, stirring regularly, until the tomatoes become a soft, sticky, jammy consistency. The cooking time will depend on how high you keep your simmering temperature and may actually take up to 3 or more hours (see notes).
- Check the progress and stir occasionally until you achieve your desired consistency.
- When cooking is complete, remove the pan from the heat.
- Spoon the jam into a jar and store in the refrigerator.
- Makes approximately 4 cups of jam. Serving size = 2 tablespoons.
Notes
- The recipe makes approximately 4 cups of jam. Nutrition values are calculated on a serving size of 2 tablespoons.
- About the cooking time: Check the progress and stir occasionally until you achieve your desired consistency. Depending on the heat, cooking time may take up to four hours.
- Do not cover the pot while the jam cooks. The moisture needs to evaporate in order for the jam to thicken. A slow cooker is not recommended for this recipe.
- Make sure to use a clean, sanitized jar for storage. This is not a canning recipe. It’s not shelf stable and must be stored under refrigeration rather than in the pantry.
- Store the cooled jam in sealed jars in the fridge. Use within 3 weeks.
- You can freeze the cooled jam in a freezer safe zip-top bag or plastic container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight before using.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on March 8, 2011. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
I winged making tomato jam for years. Have followed your recipe twice since discovering on your site and it is perfect. The first time was with fresh cherry and plum varieties and the second was with my canned San Marzano tomatoes. We can a lot of tomatoes and I have to tell you, the jam with the home canned tomatoes was very good. I did pare down the sugar and spices for only a quart of tomatoes.
Thank you.
I can just imagine how delicious it was with your home canned tomatoes!!
This is delicious! Thank you for sharing it. My family lives in NYC and I want to make a batch and send to them. May I make the recipe and overnight it to NYC instructing them to place in the fridge when they receive it?
Georgia Peach – because this is not a canning recipe it is not shelf-stable. I cannot say how any shipping delays or fluctuations in temperature during shipping might affect the quality or safety of the jam.
Hi Lana
Just as an experiment, maybe try freezing it first?
Freeze in a solid shape, pack, put in a cool, dry place and try it in 24 hours.
Just a thought…….
I peeled the tomatoes first because its been so hot here that some of the skins are tough. I even peeled the little yellow pear tomatoes. I cooked the mixture for about 3hours and then did a water bath so I could store the jam longer.
MaryLou — This is not a canning recipe. A water bath will not make it shelf stable or safe. It must be stored under refrigeration.
Increased ingredients:
1 TBLS freshly grated ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
Prep time 1 hour to quarter 2.5 pounds of mixed cherry tomatoes.
Cooked in slow cooker without lid, after bring to a boil on range, for 8 hours.
We love the zestier version on toast, cracker & cheese, and meats.
I made this yesterday, and used it on lamb chops. Very good.
I was concerned about the tomato peels, so I laboriously quartered the tomatoes, thinking that smaller peels would be better. First bite I took, got one of those peels that sticks to your teeth. Several rude words were said. When the jam was done cooking (a bit more than 3 hours), I put it through a food mill, which made the consistency perfect.
Great recipe.
Thanks,
Joe
My husband loves this – eats it regularly. He puts it on many things especially his favorite breakfast quesadilla.
Thanks for letting me know! I think tomato jam on quesadillas sounds great, too :-)
Is it cardamon or cinnamon?
It’s cinnamon. I’ll edit the text of the post.
can this be made in crock pot
Hi Ann — The moisture needs to be able to evaporate during cooking in order for the jam to thicken. Because of that, a slow cooker is not recommended for this recipe.
Have you ever had trouble with the skins breaking down?
Hi Britteny – I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking about the skins breaking down?
The skins or peels all rolled up after the tomatoes cooked down and they get stuck in your teeth and the roof of your mouth. I keep gagging on them. The flavor is so good, but the peels are awful.
Wow, no, I’ve never had that to happen. Cherry tomatoes usually have really thin, tender skin and it almost disappears into the mixture. I’d suggest processing it through a food mill, or in a food processor maybe. You could even press it through a fine mesh metal sieve to remove most of the skins if you wanted to.
Lana
I made this jam last year. Loved it and mad another batch and canned it. We just had some the other evening with goat cheese and crackers and it seemed to be perfectly fine. A big hit with all of our friends!!
You’ve reminded me that I need to make a batch of this! We enjoy with all kinds of things in place of catsup.
Thank you! This is one of those things I have been looking for. The best appetizer I’ve ever had was a wedge of Brie, roasted garlic, tomato jam, a few baby greens,all served with pita points. The flavors,tasted all together were fantastic.
PS I’m still finding interesting recipes as I continue exploring your blog.
That sounds really delicious, Shelby. I can’t wait to try that for myself!
I just made this with cherry toms from my garden – it was my first ever jam and it was SO easy and tastes really good! Thanks a lot – I will definitely be making more!
Glad you liked it, Clare. Reminds me that I need to make some more!
I just made this last night in the crockpot. Cooked on high with the lid half off for 12 hours. Totally easy and boy did my house smell yummy. Thanks for the great idea.
Hey can you think of any reason why you couldn’t waterbath can this?
Yes, I can. It’s probably not acidic enough for water bath canning. Honestly, I don’t take chances with canning anything that hasn’t been tested and approved for canning by USDA. And this is not an approved canning recipe.
I made this today. What a great way to use up cherry tomatoes! I’m not a ketchup fan, so I am not sure what I’m gonna try it on first. LOL I really like the taste though. I’m gonna can it for gifts. I know some people who will love it! I didn’t care for the skins, so I hit it with the stick blender.. that made it better for me… Thank you for this interesting and yummy, super easy in the crock pot recipe!
It may sound like I wasn’t crazy about it… but it’s really good and perfect for me since I’m down and out with my back.. leaving it to cook in the crock pot was so fun!
Joyce – I’m so glad you enjoyed making the tomato jam and hope you really enjoy using it! You said you planned to can it for gifts. Just be aware that this is not an approved canning recipe. It hasn’t been tested to determine whether it has the required pH to make it shelf-stable. You could, however, certainly pack it into jars to keep in the refrigerator and tell your recipients to do the same :-)
Thanks for this great recipe, Lana. I’ve made it several times, with a couple of slight adjustments. I add a couple of shallots, and reduce the sugar somewhat. I actually canned this and gave it as Christmas presents to several friends this year, and it went over really well! YUMmmmm!
I’ve never made tomato jam and it looks fabulous! I love the sweet and spicy. It is definitely something that sounds good spread on a cracker for a little snack. I love that kind of snack!
How long will it keep in the fridge?
I don’t really know just how long this will keep in the fridge. It never lasts long enough around here to test that. To be safe, I probably wouldn’t keep it more than a couple of weeks.
I loved this jam. Such breathtaking photographs! I loved your site.
seriously beautiful photographs and what a wonderful recipe!