Spicy Sweet Cherry Tomato Jam Food

CHERRY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Wash tomatoes thoroughly and remove stems. Gently pat dry with a soft tea towel.
• Place the tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large stock pot. Place over medium heat and stir until tomatoes are coated with sugar. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, mashing the tomatoes with a large wooden spoon or spatula as you stir. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir in the salt and pepper. The mixture may foam as it cooks; when foam rises to the top, skim it off with a large spoon.
• Stir frequently to ensure the tomatoes are cooking evenly, until most of the liquid has cooked off. The mixture is ready when it has a glossy appearance, the tomato skins are translucent, and it has a slightly sticky consistency. This may take up to 1 hour, or longer depending on how juicy your tomatoes are.
• Ladle the jam into sterilized canning jars and lid. Let rest at room temperature until cool. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to six months.
• If canning these for long-term storage, process the jars in a water bath canner with boiling water that covers the tops of the jars. Time the jars at 15 minutes when the water starts boiling again after adding them to the canning pot. Remove the jars from the water bath and allow them to stand until the lids seal (with a satisfying 'pop'!).
• Serve tomato jam over goat cheese with crackers, or alongside a charcuterie board. Serve with seafood, or use it to fancy-up fried potatoes of all kinds!

SPICY SWEET CHERRY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium size pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until sticky and thickened.
• Allow to cool, slightly. You can use them this way or break them down further in your food processor or with an immersion blender.
• Great in place of barbecue sauce, pizza sauce, and pasta sauce. Fantastic with cream cheese on crackers.
• Serving size depends on your chosen use. I've counted it as if using as tomato sauce on a pizza. This recipe makes enough for 2 medium pizzas.

SPICY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Start with our step-by-step canning how-to.
• Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the lemons in wide strips, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Squeeze the lemon juice through a strainer into a large, wide saucepan. Add the lemon zest, tomatoes, sugar, cumin, 4 teaspoons salt, the red pepper flakes, cinnamon sticks, cloves and ginger. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are juicy and the sugar dissolves, 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are dark and syrupy and a candy or deep-fry thermometer registers 220 degrees F, 40 to 50 minutes (the timing may vary depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes). Reduce the heat if the mixture starts to scorch. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
• Meanwhile, sterilize four 8-ounce canning jars and lids.
• Fill the jars with the tomato mixture, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, then seal and process.

SWEET CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a pot, mix cherries, pectin, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Add sugar, stir to combine.
• Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, skim foam.
• Ladle into hot sterilized 8 oz jars, leave 1/4" head space. Wipe rims and add lids.
• Process jars in water bath for your recomended altitude.

SPICY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes in a large pot and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes; allow to sit 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from boiling water and place in ice-cold water until cool enough to handle. Slip off skins and stems.
• Coarsely chop the tomatoes in a food processor; reserve any juices and add to chopped tomatoes.
• Combine vinegar, apple juice, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, mustard, allspice, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a large non-reactive pan over medium heat; cook and stir until sugar dissolves completely; stir in the chopped tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until liquid has reduced by half, 30 to 45 minutes. Add the lemon slices and cook another 15 minutes.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 30 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

SPICY SWEET TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients (except Clear Jel and cold water) in a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender), puree the mixture until relatively smooth.
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the Clear Jel and cold water.
• Stir into the jam mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
• Can 15 minutes in a waterbath.

SPICY TOMATO JAM

Steps:

• Bring a medium size pan of water to a boil.
• Plunge washed tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds or until skin slips easily when placed in cold water.
• Remove tomatoes from hot water with a slotted spoon and plunge immediately into cold water.
• Cut off tops, remove skin and core (It is not necessary to remove all the seeds but I would recommend removing the core.).
• Cut the tomatoes into fourths, place in container of food processor along with metal blade and pulse 2 to 3 times to chop being careful not to over process.
• Place the tomatoes in a large non-reactive pot or Dutch oven; simmer 10 minutes.
• Add the chili and sugar, stirring to blend; add lemon juice, cilantro and tomato juice stirring to blend.
• Bring to a boil over high heat and stir until sugar dissolves; approximately 1 minute.
• Boil gently for 10 minutes skimming off and discarding any scum that may come to the surface.
• Remove from heat, cover and allow to sit at room temperature for a minimum of 8 hours; overnight is fine.
• Return the tomatoes to heat, bring to a simmer and allow to cook until thick and temperature on candy/jelly thermometer reaches 220 degrees; approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
• Skim off any foam, ladle into hot, clean, half-pint canning jars, and leaving 1-inch of head space.
• Wipe the rim of the jars with clean cloth, place on the lids and rings; put the jars into a water bath canner with boiling water and process for 5 to 10 minutes or as recommended for your altitude.
• Carefully remove the jars from the water and place on countertop on top of a towel.
• Allow jars to cool and check seal; label and store in cool place. Enjoy!
• Note: If you don't have a candy/jelly thermometer; you can use the plate test. Place a small plate in the freezer and allow to chill. Remove plate a drop a small amount of hot jam onto plate, return to freezer for 1 minute. The mixture should hold its shape when touched and not have watery edges.