Tomato season is almost here, and I couldn’t be more excited. When ripe red tomatoes start appearing at the farmers’ market, grocery store, or in your own garden, make a batch of this sticky tomato jam. It delivers a concentrated tomato flavor balanced by brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger, and a touch of smoky spice.
This jam is forgiving if your tomatoes aren’t perfectly ripe — it cooks for a long time, which concentrates flavor and sweetness. Adding cherry tomatoes helps, because they’re usually ripe, sweet, and flavorful even when larger tomatoes aren’t.
I developed this recipe after tasting a favorite breakfast sandwich at a popular café in Des Moines. The sandwich features a ginger pork sausage patty, arugula, bacon, a fried egg, avocado, red onion—and a sweet-savory tomato jam that elevates the whole sandwich. I’m still tweaking the sandwich recipe, but this tomato jam is a keeper on its own.
This jam is delicious on biscuits, crackers with soft cheeses like goat cheese, burgers, breakfast sandwiches, and many other dishes. It’s versatile—try it on whatever you like and see how it enhances the flavor.
And yes—the breakfast sandwich recipe I mentioned is coming soon.
Sticky Tomato Jam
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- Author: Amanda
Yield: about 1-1/2 cups
Description
Sweet, sticky tomato jam with a deep, concentrated tomato flavor. Fresh ginger, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and warming spices give it a balanced sweet-and-savory profile. Use it on biscuits, crackers with soft cheese, burgers, sandwiches, and more.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh peeled ginger (about a 1-inch knob)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the mixture thickens, about 1½ to 2 hours, stirring from time to time. As it cooks, tomato skins will loosen and can be picked out if desired. The jam is ready when it becomes deep red and thick enough that you can scrape a spoon across the bottom of the pot with little to no liquid left behind. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in a sealed container.
Notes
This is a refrigerator jam. Store it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Recipe inspiration came from a sweet-and-savory tomato jam technique shared on thekitchn.com.
- Category: Basics & Staples