Spiced Tomato Preserves

Memories from my childhood! Mom made tomato preserves nearly every year. Of course, the jars were sealed with paraffin then, but it was all good.

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 5 half pints

Ingredients

3 c. prepared tomatoes (2 1/4 lb.)
1/4 c. lemon juice
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 box sure-jell fruit pectin
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Directions

Scald, peel and chop tomatoes. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Measure 3 cups into a 6 or 8 quart saucepot. Add lemon juice, grated lemon rind, allspice, cinnamon and ground cloves to tomatoes. Add a bit of butter (about 1/2 tsp) here, if using, to reduce foam. Measure sugar and set aside.

Stir sure-jell fruit pectin into prepared tomatoes. (Saucepot must be no more than 1/3 full to allow for a full rolling boil.) NOTE: The Sure-Jell folks suggest mixing the pectin with some of the sugar (like the odd 1/2 cup) to insure a better mix and adding that small amount of sugar/pectin mixture in at the beginning of the cooking process. That is what I did.

Bring to a full boil over high heat, stirring constantly. All at once stir in sugar. Stir and bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down). Then boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Skim off foam with large metal spoon. Immediately ladle into hot clean jars, leaving 1/4 inch space at top. With a damp cloth, wipe jar rims and threads clean.

Immediately cover jars with hot lids. Screw bands on firmly. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

The bit of butter added at the beginning does reduce foaming. There was some, but not enough to bother with, in my view. Mom never skimmed her preserves, so I am accustomed to a few bubbles in the jam.

Also, Mom never peeled her tomatoes for jam, so neither do I. That one is simply a matter of taste. The odd piece of peel is just not worth it to me to do all that peeling and blanching!

Categories: BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves

Submitted by: pete on April 30, 2010