Monday, December 8, 2014

Secret Recipe Club: Tomato Jam

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When I received my assignment for Secret Recipe Club for this month, I must admit was a little confused. I mean - how do you choose ONE recipe from a blog that's chockfull of awesome recipes? And even while I was lolling about in confusion, she went ahead and posted this tempting chowder recipe. Thanks for adding to the confusion, Julie!

This month, the blog I was assigned to cook from was the wonderful A Little Bit of Everything. Julie has been blogging since 2009 and has almost 750 posts on her blog. Yes, you read that right. Seven hundred and fifty! Is it any surprise that I found it hard to choose something?

This recipe was one that I passed over the first time because I thought it was too simple. But even after I bookmarked a few other yummy ones - including a cranberry-jalapeno jam which sounded divine, my mind kept going back to this one. And I am so glad I decided to go with my gut!
It was my first time ever making a tomato jam, and wow - it really is something! I stayed true to Julie's recipe with only a few minor adjustments - a little less sugar than she used, and some extra acid because the tomatoes I used just weren't tart enough. Apart from that, I stuck to Julie's recipe and instructions and it was just delicious!

And with Christmas just around the corner, I'm sure your friends would love receiving this beautiful red jam in pretty little jars with cute ribbons around them!

I must also mention that I only made half the recipe, using 2.5 pounds of ripe tomatoes. 

Tomato Jam
Slightly adapted from this recipe
Ingredients
2.5 pounds/1.1kg of ripe tomatoes
1 1/3 cup white sugar
4 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp red dried chilli flakes

Method
1. Wash, core and chop the tomatoes fine. I used a food processor. (If you're the kind of person who is bothered by tomato skins, you can blanch and peel the tomatoes. The skin doesn't bother me. So I skipped that.)
2. In a heavy bottom saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Stir together and set the saucepan on a stove on medium heat.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
4. Lower the temperature and allow the jam to cook on low heat for about an hour or more. You will need to stir it and scrape down the sides at regular intervals. The frequency of stirring must increase as the jam gets thicker. You don't want it to catch and burn. 
5. When the jam is thick, mine reduced to less than one-third of the original volume, the mixture is sticky and glossy. 
6. If you're using to bottling and canning, follow your usual procedure to store this yummy jam. Or you could just allow the jam to cool, transfer to an airtight jar.

I store most of my jams and preserves in the refrigerator, and this one went into the fridge too.

I loved the flavor of this jam. It is sweet, tart, spicy and has a lovely sticky texture that keeps you licking your fingers. There are so many things I can think of to do with this jam - my brother suggested something with goat cheese. A tart maybe? I was thinking it would be awesome with feta or haloumi too. 
We made a simple grilled cheese with cheese, tomato jam, and tabasco sauce for added heat. It had lovely flavor and we enjoyed it! 

Thank you Julie for a lovely recipe and for your awesome blog posts. I've bookmarked quite a few including this delicious sounding Lemon Butter Baked Shrimp. I look forward to getting to know you better as we cook together in SRC! Until next time! :)

To see more yummy recipes from Group B of the Secret Recipe Club, visit the link below!

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11 comments:

KathyWalker said...

This looks great, Marsha...the tomatoes caramelized nicely....Great post!

Saundra Contreras said...

Wow, I've never heard of this--how unique. Thanks for sharing :)

Heather said...

Yum! This looks so good. I wish I would have had this recipe when I had a counter full of tomatoes earlier this summer!

KathyWalker said...

Marsha, I forgot to tell you that I had your blog this month. I had so much fun trying to find "just one" recipe...it didn't happen, I found quite a few that I have got to try! Love your blog.

Julie said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful shout out! We love this tomato jam. So many uses. Happy Holidays!!!

theharriedcook said...

Thank you so much, Kathy! :) It was really yummy! Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

It was something new to me too! And so intriguing :) Turned out great! Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

You should totally bookmark it! I live in a place where it is summer all year round :) So we're enjoying it right now… Thanks for stopping by!

theharriedcook said...

Thanks, Kathy! I did visit and loved what you made… that's a recipe I made because we don't get a lot of ingredients to make real gingerbread here… But it is easy, tastes good and smells awesome! So glad you enjoyed your time here… Cheers!

theharriedcook said...

Loved your blog, Julie! This recipe is a keeper, for sure! Merry Christmas to you! Thanks for stopping by!

CJ Huang said...

I've never heard of tomato jam, but it sure looks yummy!

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