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Sweet, tangy, and laced with warm spices, these tomato preserves flip the script on what tomatoes can do. The fruit cooks down into a glossy, jammy spread with a hint of lemon for brightness. Try it with biscuits, alongside grilled meats, or spread on a bacon cheeseburger for a next-level sandwich.
Here’s Why This Tomato Preserves Recipe Works
Perfect for gifting: Shelf-stable jars of jam make thoughtful homemade gifts that show off summer’s flavor. try pairing them with a batch of peach preserves.
Heritage-tested method: Based on my grandma’s spiced tomato jam, this recipe follows a tradition that’s been used for generations, with flavors that stand the test of time.
Versatile use: Works as a sweet spread for breakfast or a condiment alongside savory meats and cheeses.
Shelf-stable results: Proper water-bath canning locks in the freshness for up to a year.
Recipe Tips
Measure after cooking: Measuring after the tomatoes are cooked down ensures the right fruit-to-sugar-to-pectin ratio for proper set and safe canning.
Use fresh spices: Ground cinnamon, allspice, and cloves lose punch over time; fresher spices give the preserves a brighter, more complex flavor.
Keep jars hot: Fill only warm jars to prevent cracking from thermal shock when adding hot preserves.
Watch the boil: Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. The entire surface should bubble hard and not calm when stirred. This high heat is what activates the pectin so the preserves set.
Seal check is key: Wait the full 24 hours before pressing the lids. Pressing too soon can break the vacuum seal before it’s fully set, which means the jar won’t be shelf-stable.
If you love homemade spreads, my strawberry jam is another sweet way to capture summer fruit in a jar.
Canning and Troubleshooting
Not if you plan to process the preserves in a hot water bath for shelf storage. The sugar is part of the safe fruit-to-sugar-to-pectin ratio, and reducing it can affect both the set and safety. You can cut it back only if you skip canning and refrigerate the preserves, using them within a few weeks.
Promptly refrigerate any jars that don’t seal and use within a few weeks, or reprocess them within 24 hours using a new lid.
It’s better not to double this recipe. Larger batches can take too long to come to a full rolling boil, which can change the set and flavor. Make separate batches instead.
You can skip peeling, but the skins won’t break down during cooking and can leave tough, papery bits in the preserves. They can also add a faint bitterness, especially in late-season or thick-skinned tomato varieties. Peeling gives you a cleaner, sweeter flavor.
Tomato Jam Recipe For Canning
These tomato preserves (or tomato jam, as many call it), are proof that tomatoes can go far beyond sauce and salsa. Sweet, tangy, and warmly spiced, they’re as at home on buttery cornbread as they are next to grilled pork. It is my favorite way to preserve garden tomatoes.
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Tomato Preserves
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Ingredients
- 2½ pounds ripe tomatoes
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 box sure-jell, the original yellow box
- 4½ cups granulated sugar, 900 grams
Instructions
Jars & Canner Prep
- Wash jars, lids, and rings in hot soapy water, then rinse well. Place jars upright on a baking sheet and keep warm in a 225°F oven until ready to use. You will need either 8 half-pint jars or 4 pint jars.
- Place the flat lids in a small saucepan, cover with hot water, and keep them just below boiling on a back burner. Do not boil, as this can damage the sealing compound.
- Fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch. Place the canner rack inside and bring the water to a simmer while you prepare the preserves.
For the Preserves
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Prepare a large bowl with ice water.
- Wash tomatoes and cut a shallow “X” in the bottom of each one.
- Add tomatoes to the boiling water for 1 minute.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking.
- When cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skins (the “X” helps the skins slip off easily).
- Chop the peeled tomatoes and place them in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. As they cook, mash the tomatoes lightly with the back of a spoon to help them break down. They should soften into a junky, saucy mixture, with some liquid evaporated but still loose and spoonable.
- Measure exactly 3 cups of the cooked tomatoes into a bowl (discard or save any extra for another use). Return the measured tomatoes to the cooking pot.
- Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and the powdered Sure-Jell. Cook over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Add the sugar, stirring continually. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. The preserves will still look loose and liquidy at this stage.
Filling the Jars
- Take the pot off the heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.
- Working with one jar at a time, remove a hot jar from the oven using tongs and place it on a saucer. Place a canning funnel in the jar and ladle in the hot preserves, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
- Wipe the rim and threads of the jar with a damp paper towel to remove any spills. Place a hot lid on the jar and screw on the metal band until fingertip-tight (do not over-tighten).
- Place the filled jar in the canner rack. Repeat with the remaining jars.
Processing the Preserves
- When all jars are filled, carefully lower the rack into the boiling water in the canner. Make sure jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. If needed, add more boiling water.
- Once the water returns to a full rolling boil, start timing and process for 10 minutes, or adjust according to the altitude chart in the Sure-Jell instructions (e.g., add 5 minutes if above 3,000 feet).
- Remove jars from the canner and place them on a towel in a draft-free area. Let them cool undisturbed for 24 hours.
Checking the Seal
- After 24 hours, press the center of each lid. If it does not spring back, the jar is sealed. If a jar did not seal, refrigerate it and use within a few weeks.
- For sealed jars, tighten the metal bands if needed and store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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