Tomato Jam, seems to be a far-fetched idea when you think of it. Doesn’t it? But that is only because most people either don’t know or forget that it is a fruit! A big red succulent fruit. Easy to grow in the summertime and therefore everyone has them in their back yard. You can’t give them away! The jam, however is a gourmet’s delight and a tasty treat on homemade bread.

Ingredients needed are sugar and water, besides the tomatoes and utensils; a half dozen canning jars, food processor maybe, and a heavy duty pot or Dutch oven. Every kitchen has these item right? After you collect the tomatoes from your garden&, wash and remove the eyes. (Small indentation where they were attached to the plant) Sanitize jars and lids in Dutch oven with hot water or use sanitizing cycle of your dish washer.

Now it’s time to process the tomatoes. You don’t want to peel them, just make an x where the eye was, big enough to let you squeeze out the excess seeds and water. If you don’t get it all out not to worry, it only adds flavor to the final product and will take a little longer to cook. Coarse chop tomatoes with the food processor. Eight to ten ponds for a 5 qt Dutch oven, and add two pounds of sugar and stir. Place on medium to high heat with the lid off.

The tomatoes will give off water that will evaporate or be given off as steam. Keep cooking and stir occasionally. At time progresses the tomatoes will become even a brighter red as the sugar incorporates with the fruit. If, after an hour, there is too much in the oven (more than inch above the fruit) scoop it out and discard. Then add more sugar as some was lost in the water you discarded.

Continue to cook and stir until the mix begins to gel. A common test for this is to scoop up some fruit and let it slide slowly back into pot. When it’s ready it slides very slowly and congeals if left in a cool place for five minutes.

Try some on a bit of homemade bread. It’s delicious and fiery red. If it isn’t sweet enough for you, just add more sugar and cook another half hour and do the gel test again.

Once ready spoon jam into jars, while hot, cover tops with wax paper and set aside away from the reach of your kids, to cool.

Tomato Jam, serve it to your family and friends; before long they will be begging for more!