I was thrilled when tomato season came early to my garden this year. I took the picture below in late July, weeks earlier than I’ve harvested tomatoes in the past.
The downside? August isn’t over and my harvest has pretty much petered out. I’ve still got another bunch of San Marzanos ripening and lots of cherry tomatoes, but sadly that’s pretty much it.
I really can’t complain, though, because I ate lots of fabulous tomatoes in many, many different ways this summer. One of my favorite tomato recipes has been this tomato ginger jam…
…and I promise I’ll tell you how to make it in a bit. But first I thought I’d recap some of the other ways I enjoyed tomatoes this summer, since not everything I made got posted on the blog.
There were the salads: this one, this one and this one:
There was this cold soup, for the food52 heirloom tomato contest, as well as this tomato and goat cheese “pie”:
There was also this raw foods version of lasagna,
and jars of salsa, tomato sauce, and slow roasted tomatoes.
So, yeah, I really have nothing to complain about. All this, and I never had to buy one tomato!
Actually, I take that back. I did buy one…
I really loved it’s shape and color, so I saved the seeds in order to grow it in my garden next year.
Now, about the jam. I’ve never made tomato jam before, and used two sources for inspiration: (a recipe from the always reliable Mark Bittman and and another from the very talented Jennifer Perillo).
The spices and the ginger make this reminiscent of an Indian chutney, but it’s thick, sweet (but not too sweet), and spreadable like a jam. I love it on sourdough toast, plain, over ricotta cheese, or topped with a fried egg; it also makes an interesting sandwich spread with smoked turkey or ham, and Bittman suggests pairing it with fish.
This recipe doesn’t make a lot, so it’s best stored in the refrigerator, not canned for shelf stability. If you want to make a larger batch for canning, you might need to increase the proportions of sugar and vinegar to ensure that it’s safe (I’m a novice canner so please consult a more knowledgeable canning resource to be sure).
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This post is linked to The Nourishing Jams, Jellies, and Preserves Blog Hop.
Recipe for Tomato Jam with Ginger
Ingredients
- *3 pounds ripe tomatoes cored and coarsely chopped (I used various varieties of homegrown heirloom tomatoes)
- *1 cup organic brown sugar
- *1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
- *1/4 cup crystallized candied ginger, minced
- *1 teaspoon ground cumin
- *1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- *1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- *1 teaspoon sea salt
- *1 dried ancho chile stemmed and seeded
Instructions
- 1. Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cook at a simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring every now and then, until quite thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- 2. Spoon into a clean glass jar for storage in the refrigerator, where it should last for several weeks.
