Name: Cherry Tomato Jam
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 10 oz cherry tomatoes; 1 oz brown sugar; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 fl oz water; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp dried rosemary; ½ tsp dried chives; ½ tsp red chili flakes

Cherry Tomato Jam is every bit as comfortable appearing as a delicious condiment on a cheese board or taking pride of place at a Slider Bar. Either way it’s easy, and delicious.

This is a small batch recipe, making about 4 oz of Cherry Tomato Jam.

Ingredients

Cherry tomatoes: fresh, preferably organic.
Brown sugar.
Apple cider vinegar.
Salt and pepper.
Red chili flake.
Rosemary: dried.
Chives: dried.

Instructions How to Make Cherry Tomato Jam

Wash and slice tomatoes into halves or quarters if they are larger.

Add the water, vinegar, salt, pepper, brown sugar, tomatoes and red chili flake to a pot.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer for about 35 minutes.

Add the dried rosemary and chives and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until a thick jam consistency is reached.

Pour the contents into a small (4 oz) mason jar.

Flexibility

This recipe for Cherry Tomato Jam offers ingredient flexibility. Cherry Tomatoes do not necessarily have to be used, any type of tomato will work. There are lots of varieties of small tomatoes to choose from, or use a larger type such as Roma or beefsteak, just cut larger tomatoes into smaller chunks, be sure to include the seeds.

I chose apple cider vinegar for the recipe because it offers tang and the flavor of sweet cooked apples. Balsamic, red or white wine vinegar, malt or distilled will all work.

Add fresh herbs (you’ll need to triple the quantity) instead of dried herbs. Herbs that could be added include oregano, thyme, parsley, savory, basil or marjoram.

Honey, white sugar, or any other natural sweetener will replace the brown sugar.

Remember any deviation away from the original recipe will alter the flavor, appearance, texture and nutritional value.

Uses for Cherry Tomato Jam

There are so many uses for this nifty condiment! My favorite use for it, is paired with cheese. Adding Cherry Tomato Jam to a cheese board not only provides color and texture, but it also provides a tangy sweetness to blue or equally sharp cheeses. Use it also to garnish an otherwise plain cheese on a cracker.

Another of my favorite ways to use for this condiment is to include it in a Slider Bar, along with Baconnaise, Pickled Mustard Seeds, Chunky Blue Cheese Topping and Onion Chutney.

Variety of bread rolls, cooked burger patties, lettuce, tomato and onion, pickles, pickled mustard, tomato jam, onion chutney, blue cheese topping and Baconnaise. — Slider Bar showing Cherry Tomato Jam and other condiments.

Storage

Store this Cherry Tomato Jam in the 4 oz mason jar originally used to store it in. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Do not freeze this Jam.

A Tip From Me

If planning a get together during the summer months, a fairly inexpensive yet fun idea is to have a Slider Bar. Serving smaller sized beef patties, an assortment of buns and a variety of condiments takes a standard burger grill- out, to the next level. Cheaper than serving steaks, but equally enjoyable, a Slider Bar is a win / win. Make the condiments (including Cherry Tomato Jam) in advance, allowing you, the host, to reduce the amount of food prep needed the day of the get together.

Got Questions?

I’ve got answers – hopefully.

Why can an exact time for cooking Cherry Tomato Jam not be given? This is because the tomatoes used will vary with the water content they contain. Ripe tomatoes contain up to 95% water and some tomato varieties such as cherry tomatoes contain more water than others such as grape tomatoes, so giving an exact cooking time is challenging. That’s why it’s important to observe the consistency of the Jam rather than the amount of time it cooks.
I don’t like vinegary foods, can I leave the vinegar out? Yes, but the end result will be very sweet, so reduce your sugar content by a third to a half.
Can I add sweet spices instead of dried herbs? Yes, warm sweet spices such as nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon can be added, about a third of a teaspoon of each. The flavor will be different but still delicious.