A savory sweet jam that makes a lovely appetizer paired with creamy goat cheese and crackers. Or use it as a glaze or accompaniment for roasted meat, burgers, pork, turkey or chicken. Using small quarter pint sized jars (1/2 cup or 125 ml) is the perfect size for a party appitzer platter or for gift giving.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Servings: 5half pint jars or 8-10 quarter pint jars
Equipment
canning jars
Ingredients
4cupsprepared tomatoes (see instructions)3-4 pounds of fresh tomatoes
Choose nice flavorful, fully ripe tomatoes and wash.
Peel tomatoes for a smooth finish without any loose skin and for added safety. To peel tomatoes, slice a small X on the bottom of each tomato just through the peel. Place in boiling hot water for 1-2 minutes. Remove from water, cool and peel.
Chop tomatoes.
Place tomatoes in saucepan and bring to simmer. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes (15-20 minutes if using slicing tomatoes), stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Tomatoes should be soft with some of the liquid starting to evaporate.
Sterilize Jars
Wash jars, check for any chips or cracks and sterilize by boiling for 10 minutes or placing in 225°F oven for 10 minutes. See Sterilizing Jars for details.
Prepare Jam
In large saucepan, combine 4 cups prepared tomatoes, hot pepper flakes, ginger, lemon juice and No Sugar Needed powdered pectin. Stir until pectin is fully dissolved.
Bring to full boil over high heat, stirring frequently.
Add sugar. Stir constantly and return mixture to a full rolling boil for 3 minutes.
Pour into hot, sterilized jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe rim of jars and apply 2 piece lids tightening ring fingertight Place jars in hot water bath and process for 5 minutes.
Allow jars to rest in canner for 5 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
Enjoy within one year. Once open, keep jam in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Notes
Want to try half a batch? No problem, just half the recipe. A small batch can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 weeks without requiring canning. Once open, jars will last about 2 weeks in the fridge.You can increase or decrease the amount of spice you add to this recipe, but keep the lemon juice ratio the same - the added acid keeps this preserve safe!I used Bernardin's No Added Sugar powdered pectin. If you choose a different type of pectin, you will need to adjust the recipe according to package directions. Sterilizing/Canning Tip - The National Centre for Home Food Preservation says sterilizing jars is not needed if cans are processed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes or longer. In this recipe, it is safe to skip the sterilizing step if you: wash and heat jars and process the filled jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.