WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Ruby-red tomato jam is a flavorful way to transform your tomatoes into a unique topping for sandwiches or a base for dips; or dollop it onto a cheese plate. It’s a cinch to make: Just combine everything in a large pot and cook it down to a deliciously sweet and spicy jam. Leaving the peels on the tomatoes gave our chunky jam a good texture. In our attempts to achieve the right amount of heat, we started by
adding three jalapeños, seeds included. The jam barely had a kick to stand up to the sweet tomato flavors but instead had a prominent grassy flavor. So, we swapped the jalapeños for a single seeded habanero. This chile packed the heat we were looking for as well as a complementary fruity flavor. For an even spicier tomato jam, include the habanero seeds.
MAKES: 2 cups
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus 1 hour cooling time)
INGREDIENTS:
- 2½ Pounds Tomatoes, Cored and Chopped
- 1 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 7 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 Habanero Chile, Stemmed, Seeded, and Minced
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring All Ingredients to Simmer in Large Saucepan over Medium-High Heat.
- Cook, Stirring Often, Until Mixture Has Thickened and Darkened in Color and Measures Slightly More Than 2 Cups, 1 to 1¼ Hours.
- Let Jam Cool Completely, About 1 Hour, Before Serving.
- Jam Can be Refrigerated for at Least 4 Months; Flavor Will Become Milder Over Time
