Pages

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Balsamic Tomato Jam




It feels like my last few posts have all included jam. Well, I guess you can tell I love using it in everything and even more, I love making it. This pan jam is one of the easiest things to make. A friend of mine has the cutest little garden at her house. Her tomatoes are prime for the picking so she shared the abundance with me . Earlier in the week, I had already made some tomato soup and veggie quiche. I wanted to try something different so the jam idea sounded great! I was skeptical how it would turn out, as the cooking process was a bit different from the way fruit cooks down. But let me tell you, this stuff is amazing. My mom kept raving about the flavor and pairing it with cheese and crackers. I went the other route and added it to grilled cheese made with goat cheese and spinach. I'm excited to get more tomatoes so I can make this again soon. I already have some new yummy ideas of what I can do with it.

Ingredients:

5 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
(heirloom, cherry, plum, yellow)
Juice from ½ lemon
⅓ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

To make:

Chop and measure 5 cups of tomatoes. In a large pot or deep pan, add tomatoes, lemon juice, agave, and salt. Turn heat to high-medium and gently stir to combine. Once the mixture starts to boil, continue to stir frequently to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. After about 5 minutes of cooking, add the balsamic vinegar. Continue to stir often for 25-30 minutes or until jam has reached a thickened consistency. Remove from heat and pour into two 8oz glass jars. Top with lids and store in fridge or freezer. I usually put one in each until I'm done with the first but I put both of these in the fridge this time because we couldn't stop eating it ;)