Jennifer’s recipe is easy enough – chop the tomatoes, toss in all the remaining ingredients and let it simmer on a low heat for 3-4 hours. Halfway through the cooking process however, I found the jam too sweet and figured that by adding a whole sliced red chilli it would not only cut the sweetness but will also to add a bit more heat. As a result, the chilli worked perfectly and I may even consider adding a couple more for future batches. A note of caution; I am a self confessed spice addict!
Tomato jam is simply wonderful slathered on a piece of toast, or as an accompaniment to your cheese platter or even used to marinate or glaze a piece of ham. Bottled and labelled, it makes a perfect gift for the upcoming festive season.
So glad I finally gave it a go – definitely one of my favourite recipes of 2011.
Tomato Jam
Ingredients
1.6kg tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, diced
½ cup tart green apple, diced
1 red chilli, sliced
½ cup brown sugar
1½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp cumin
¼ cup cider vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Method
- Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to allow ingredients to simmer and leave to cook for 3-4 hours until it thickens and takes on a jam-like consistency.
- To store, transfer jam into sterilised glass bottles and store in refrigerator for two weeks or for long term storage, use a hot water canning bath for 15minutes.
*The gorgeous jam jar labels are courtesy of Frugal Living