Tomato jam

Let's find out how to prepare tomato jam, an excellent summer preserve with meat and cheese or instead of ketchup.

Red tomato jam is a perfect preserve to prepare at home during the summer and to use in the preparation of different appetizers and bruschetta . Tomato jam is perfect for accompanying soft cheeses but also meat , as a substitute for mustard. Try it instead of ketchup with stronger-tasting burgers.

Tomato jam is prepared with very few ingredients but it is essential that they are of good quality. The tomatoes must be well ripe (let them ripen in the air for a couple of days after purchase) and possibly organic. The cooking will be quite long because the tomatoes do not contain pectin but we will leave you all the tips to speed up the preparation.

How to prepare the tomato jam recipe

1. First, wash the tomatoes thoroughly. Cut the skin with a cross cut starting from the base.
2. Bring a large pot full of water to the boil and blanch the tomatoes a few at a time. Leave them for 2 minutes then drain them using a slotted spoon.
3. As soon as they have cooled , remove the skin. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and cut them into pieces.
4. As they are ready, transfer them into a bowl. Add the sugar and lemon juice, mix well and leave to rest for 4 hours in the refrigerator covered with cling film.
5. Pour the entire contents of the bowl into a pan and start cooking the jam. It will take 1 or 2 hours to get the right consistency. After the first hour , blend everything with the immersion blender and proceed with the saucer test which will tell you what stage of cooking it is.
6. Transfer the tomato jam into sterilized glass jars while it is still boiling. Close with a new cap, turn upside down and leave to cool until the vacuum has formed.
7. Once cold you can store them in the pantry.

To speed up the cooking of the tomato jam you can add 24 g of pectin or 1 diced apple with the peel (only the seeds removed) as seen in the video .

Green light also for "flavoured" versions: lovers of strong flavors can add a fresh chilli pepper during cooking while if you love the taste of summer a few basil leaves are what's right for you.

Tomato jam can be prepared throughout the summer. However, when the season comes to an end you can opt for the equally delicious green tomato jam .

Conservation

The jam will keep in the pantry for up to a year. Once opened, it should be placed in the refrigerator and consumed within a couple of weeks. For this reason we advise you to make small jars, which are also beautiful to bring to the table with a cheese platter.