Tomatoes are a Fruit

Most people know tomatoes are technically a fruit. Despite this fact, it seems they are rarely treated like one. Most home cooks (and home eaters!) are comfortable using them in savory, not sweet applications. So when I mentioned "tomato jam" to my husband, he was quite skeptical. "It's like ketchup on steroids," I said, reassuringly. I'm not sure he was reassured. But after one taste of this amazing concoction, he was a convert. This tomato jam really is incredibly delicious! Mine is a little thinner than a real jammy consistency, but we don't mind since we plan to use it in more sauce-type ways anyway (though it's still plenty thick enough to spread a little on crackers and cheese, mmmm....). Much thanks to Food in Jars and Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen, whose recipes I combined and tweaked to make my own:



Spicy Tomato Jam
(makes approximately 4 half-pints, depending on how much you cook it down)

7 cups ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped (I used roma)
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
dash coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

As you chop tomatoes, put them in a large, non-reactive saucepan. When about half the tomatoes are chopped, add the sugars, mush a bit with a potato masher (to get the juices flowing) and start cooking over medium heat. Add remaining tomatoes as you chop them.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a rolling boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer until your jam is thick and silky, about 2 hours depending on how high you keep the heat. As you simmer, taste for spices and adjust as necessary. I started with no ground ginger and only a dash of red pepper flakes and added more of each, along with a little more cloves.

Place in sterilized quarter or half pint jars (I think quarter are best), leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes.

 


Not only do tomatoes make a lovely jam, they make a delicious marmalade as well! Although the taste of the tomato doesn't jump out in this marmalade, you can still tell they are there. This is not a super-sweet marmalade, but it's not incredibly bitter either. It's slightly to the bitter side, more tangy from the grapefruit. Mmmm....




Triple Citrus and Tomato Marmalade
makes about 8 half pints

5 cups chopped tomatoes (I used Golden Girl, which are very mild. I imagine a stronger-flavored tomato would add a more assertive flavor.)
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 lemon
2-3 additional tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 - 4 cups sugar
1/2 - 1 cup honey
dashes of ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg, to taste (I didn't use lots of any and none of them are prominent but they're just there enough to lend a deepness to the flavor)

Cut the grapefruit in half, place in a saucepan with enough water so the halves float freely and simmer until very soft, an hour or more. Remove from pan and let cool.

Cut orange and lemon in chunks, remove seeds and pulse (rind, pith and all) in food processor to desired level of chunkiness. Cut grapefruit in chunks and pulse to chop. If desired, pulse tomatoes into small chunks as well. (I made all my pieces pretty small, as I don't care for large chunks.)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently. Continue to boil, stirring very frequently, until thick - about an hour. Ladle hot marmalade into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.