Quick Tomato Jam Recipe: Sweet Homemade Preserves in 30 Minutes

Tomato jam is a deliciously balanced sweet-and-savory condiment that elevates many dishes. Use it as a dip, a burger topping, stirred into a vinaigrette, or as a relish—you’ll be hooked from the first bite.

With summer tomato harvests, I often have more tomatoes than I can use. Instead of my usual marinara, I like making tomato jam—a quick, no-fuss preserve that captures the bright flavor of fresh tomatoes with a touch of sweetness and warming spices. The first time I tasted tomato jam at a favorite vegan restaurant in San Diego, I couldn’t get enough, so I created this easy homemade version to enjoy on quinoa burgers and many other dishes.

Not all jams require complicated canning. This savory tomato jam comes together with minimal ingredients and simple technique. Once you try it, you’ll find many uses for it around the kitchen.

What to Do With Tomato Jam

• Dollop on tofu scramble
• Use on a grilled portobello mushroom burger
• As a condiment for any vegan burger
• Mix with vegan cream cheese for a flavorful dip
• Top vegan meatloaf
• Add to vegan chili with a spoonful of vegan sour cream
• Spread on toast for breakfast
• Top a chickpea omelette
• Spread on the bun for a beet burger
• Use on a tofu burger
• Whisk into a vinaigrette for salads
• Garnish vegan crab cakes
• Use on pizza in place of traditional sauce
• Turn it into a relish by adding avocado
• Spread on a vegan BLT

Tomato jam is a wonderful bridge between sweet and savory flavors—an unexpected way to enjoy tomatoes beyond sauces and salads.

Tomato Jam Ingredients

• Fresh Roma tomatoes: I recommend Romas for their denser flesh, fewer seeds, and concentrated flavor.
• Apple cider vinegar: Adds bright acidity to balance the sweetness.
• Maple syrup: A natural sweetener that avoids refined sugar.
• Coriander: Ground coriander lends warm, slightly nutty citrus notes.
• Cumin: Adds earthy depth and warmth.
• Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice brightens the jam and helps with natural pectin.
• Ginger: Fresh grated ginger gives a bright, spicy undertone.

Tomato Jam Ingredient Substitutions

• If fresh tomatoes aren’t available, use canned chopped tomatoes. They work well and save prep time.
• Distilled white vinegar can replace apple cider vinegar in equal amounts, though it’s sharper—consider a pinch of sugar or splash of fruit juice to mellow it.
• Agave nectar or date syrup can substitute for maple syrup.
• Swap coriander with garam masala if you prefer a different spice profile.
• If you lack fresh ginger, a small pinch of warm spices (allspice, cinnamon, or nutmeg) can provide a similar warming note, but fresh ginger is best.
• Bottled lemon juice can be used if fresh lemons are unavailable, though fresh juice offers brighter flavor.

How to Make Tomato Jam

1. If using fresh tomatoes, briefly blanch them: add whole tomatoes to boiling water for about 30 seconds.
2. Immediately transfer tomatoes to an ice bath to stop the cooking and loosen the skins, then peel.
3. Dice the peeled tomatoes. For canned tomatoes, skip blanching and dicing steps.
4. Place diced (or canned) tomatoes in a saucepan and add apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, ground coriander, cumin, grated ginger, and lemon juice.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently.
6. Cook low and slow for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the liquid evaporates and the mixture becomes thick and jammy.
7. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Patience pays off: simmer slowly until the jam reaches a thick, glossy consistency.
• Romas are ideal for this recipe because they’re meaty, have fewer seeds, and yield a concentrated flavor.
• Store homemade jam in the refrigerator: it will keep for up to two months in the fridge or about six months in the freezer. Once opened, use within 2–3 weeks for best quality.

You’ll be hooked as soon as you try this sweet-and-savory tomato jam.

More Delicious Vegan Recipes

If you try this tomato jam, please leave a review and let us know how you used it—we love hearing from readers!

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