Spiced Tomato Jam

Name: Spiced Tomato Jam
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds; ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom (or seeds from 1 green cardamom pod); 9 ounces (250 g) yellow cherry tomatoes, halved; 9 ounces (250 g) red cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 cup (200 g) sugar; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼–½ teaspoon chile powder; 2–3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

4 steps

The first few times I visited my husband Ross’s childhood home, it was a true culture shock. His upbringing on the bucolic South Coast of New South Wales, tending to cattle, building rabbit traps, playing school sports, was at complete odds with my sheltered, domestic childhood in the suburbs of Sydney. One of the first things I noticed about his parents’ home was the abundance of jams and preserves, mostly homemade, in their pantry and fridge. I was intrigued by the seemingly endless options—why did one family need so much jam? This made sense to me when I realized how often they ate sandwiches, a lunchtime staple. Ross was particularly partial to tomato jam, so this recipe is made with him in mind—it is no doubt a little different from the one he grew up eating, with gentle spices of mustard seeds and cardamom adding some curiosity. I’ve also made this with a 50/50 mix of tomatoes and gooseberries, which adds some sweet tartness; gooseberries are elusive, but if you happen to find them, give them a go in this recipe. I use a mix of yellow and red cherry tomatoes, mainly for color, but you can definitely use all red ones. I like this tomato jam on toast, with an aged cheddar; it will also find a welcome home on a cheese board.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:34:27 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

143

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories888.1 kcal (44%)

Total Fat2.8 g (4%)

Carbs221.5 g (85%)

Sugars207.3 g (230%)

Protein6 g (12%)

Sodium92.6 mg (5%)

Fiber5.8 g (21%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

1 servings

2 teaspoonsbrown mustard seeds

⅛ teaspoonground cardamom

or seeds from 1 green cardamom pod

250gyellow cherry tomatoes

halved

250gred cherry tomatoes

halved

1 cupsugar

½ teaspoonground ginger

¼ teaspoonchile powder

2 tablespoonslemon juice

Instructions

Step 1

Place a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the mustard seeds and cardamom and toast for 3–5 minutes, until fragrant and the seeds begin to pop. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Step 2

Place the cherry tomatoes in a bowl and squeeze them vigorously with clean hands until they are thoroughly macerated. Pour the tomatoes into the pan with the mustard seeds and cardamom and add the sugar, ginger, chile powder and lemon juice, then stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent the tomato mixture from burning. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 10–12 minutes, until the jam is glossy and thickened. Remove from the heat and pour into a sterilized jar (see Note), then allow to cool completely. Store in the fridge for many months.

Step 4

Note: The quickest way to sterilize jars is to place the jars and lids in a large saucepan and top with water. Place the pan over high heat, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Using clean tongs, remove the jars and lids from the boiling water and place them upside down on a clean tea towel to dry out. When they are dry, fill them immediately.