tomato jam + hot salsa {tomato squared}

I am canning tomatoes like a mad woman still, and I discovered a great preserving symbiosis [CHUNKY tomatoes salsa + tomato jam]

I have made a number of different canned salsa recipes and often the results taste great, but are a little watery. This round I decided to cook down the tomatoes first with no additional seasoning, I then strained them and saved the juice for another project. Fresh in my mind was Isis’s grandmothers tomato jam which she had just been raving about,  and I knew that juice was destine for a sweet spread. I had heard of tomato jam in past, but was never driven to explore that idea much until now… let me tell you the results are fabulous! Tomatoes are fruit after all and they make a unique sweet and bright jam.

Irene I know your out there, and I would love love love your mothers tomato jam recipe for future use! I will share both recipes I used today and I strongly suggest you use this technique to make both… and if you are crazy like me, you might as well process a batch of dill pickles, and pickled hot peppers while you are at it. Geez look at what my morning yielded today…

OK Salsa away… I made this kicking hot so adapt the heat as you see fit:

HOT AS’ CHUNKY SALSA

8 pounds of ripe tomatoes

Cube and simmer tomatoes for about 40 minutes

Strain and reserve liquid

Return tomatoes to your best thick bottomed pan and add:

2 cups of chopped peppers (Sweet + Hot)  as you see fit.

2 cups of chopped onions

6 cloves of chopped garlic

1 cup of lime juice

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 handful of cilantro chopped

a pinch each  of cumin + paprika + sugar if you like

3 tsp of sea salt

and a hearty pinch of chili flakes

Simmer for about 30 minutes

Portion into sterilized jars, and hot water bath process for 15 minutes.

Now the fun part… get that tomato juice and rock this crazy tomato jam:

TOMATO JAM

In your best jam pan simmer 6 cups of reserved tomato juice

Add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes

Allow to simmer for about 40 minutes

As usual I am using Pomona’s low sugar natural pectin, so my steps are a little different than if your using regular pectin follow direction for a fruit jelly.

Add 8 tsp of calcium water to tomato juice along with 1/2 cup of lemon juice

Mix  8 tsp of pectin powder into 1 cup of cane sugar

Add 2 cups of cane sugar into jam, then slowly and stirring often add in the 1 cup of pectin mixed sugar

Simmer until thickened to desired consistency.

Then portion into sterilized jars and water bath process for 10 minutes.

Tags: canned tomatoes, canning salsa, canning tomatoes, hot canned salsa, salsa recipes, tomato jam, tomato jelly