Spicy Tomato Jam - cooking recipe

Ingredients
    2 lbs ripe tomatoes
    1 -2 serrano chili, seeded, finely chopped
    4 cups sugar
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    1/2 cup fresh cilantro or 1/2 cup fresh basil, minced
    1 1/2 cups tomato juice
Preparation
    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.

Leave a comment