Spiced Cherry Tomato Jam

All of August I waited for the glut of cherry tomatoes...September here they are!  I now have baskets full and I'm sort of finished with my favorite summer dishes featuring cherry tomatoes like Panzanella, Caprese, etc. I'm ready to move into a few autumnal style dishes. 

Last month I featured a Tomato Jam at The Boulevard Market during a preserving class and chose to redesign it using cherry tomatoes.  Because it would be so ridiculously time consuming to peel every cherry tomato, my suggestion is to use a food mill or push the cherry tomatoes through a mesh strainer to avoid the majority of seeds and skin.


CHERRY TOMATO JAM

4 cups tomatoes, peeled and strained
1 1/2 cups sugar
½ t ground allspice
½ t ground cinnamon
¼ t ground cloves
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 package pectin

Cook prepared tomatoes 10 minutes in preserving pot, add seasonings and lemon juice.  Stir in pectin until completely dissolved and bring to a boil, add sugar.  Bring back to a boil and boil 1 minute stirring constantly.  Skim off foam, fill hot sterilized jars and process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.
Yield; 5 half pints

I used a Habanero Hot Sauce already prepared for a fair amount of heat to give the jam some depth.  I really like the cloves and cinnamon in this jam!  I think the spices give an autumnal twist to this recipe without overpowering the clean, sweet tomato flavor.  I used a combination of yellow and red cherry tomatoes and my jam was on the orange side, which I found quite attractive! 


I like to serve tomato jam with cheese and cold meat sandwiches or use it as a base to bbq sauce.  I also smear a few tablespoons on a roast beef before putting in the oven and on top of an old fashioned meatloaf!  It's really great with pork and chicken as well.

Cherry Tomato Jam

After the holiday food conundrum...we have so much food and nothing to eat!!!  All kidding aside, we needed a really delicious, quick, no fuss, grease laden meal at home.  Back in the summer, I was intrigued by the idea of cherry tomato jam and didn't have a chance to try my hand at it.  So tonight is the night.  I had 3/4 of a quart of less-than-stellar orange cherry tomatoes, fresh ground chuck, blue cheese and some time.

CHERRY TOMATO JAM

2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne


Put all ingredient in a small sauce pan and heat over medium high heat.  Boil briskly about 15 minutes until thick and tomatoes have cooked down by a third.

I topped my burger with the tomato jam, about 2 Tablespoons of St Agur blue cheese and a couple thin slices of red onion.....

I chose a really robust blue cheese to offset the sweetness of the jam.  If you shy away from blue cheese, this would also taste great with goat cheese.

I absolutely love Sweet Potato French Fries with a glob of mayo mixed with bottled chili sauce and a bit of garlic to dip!!!  This supper is just what I was thinking for tonight.  A taste of summer the day after Christmas.

Red Currants...for real?

I admit, I am a sucker for fresh fruit and I like it tart! (My family disagrees and calls it sour!) Red currant jelly is one of my favorites! A beautiful bright red and translucent, sweet and tart, sticky and smooth!

This week at Main Street Market (Blissfield at Hathaway House) Farmers Market, the owner of Vine Haus, Barb, had the most beautiful fresh red currants for sale! I am so excited! Tomorrow morning is jelly making at my house! I do love to make jams and jellies...they are easy, take little time, give me a huge sense of satisfaction and domestic goddess status amongst family and friends. I also love to eat toast with jam on a freezing, dark, January night. Usually more than one piece!

I also found a salsa recipe using red currants (on tomorrow's menu) and a lovely looking cake.

My fondest memory of red currant jelly is Amboise France, with a fresh crepe and chantilly (whipped cream). Wish me luck in reproducing them this week!

I will update and send recipes ASAP! Enjoy your farmers market this week and make a batch of jam too! That liquid pectin is amazing!