Spicy Tomato Jam
Sweet, tangy, and with just the right amount of heat- this homemade spicy tomato jam is a condiment you’ll want to put on everything.
Ripe, juicy tomatoes get simmered with brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and spices until they turn into this addictive concoction that you can spoon into your classic grilled cheese, burgers, or just on top of some crackers. Got some extra tomatoes? Use them to whip up a jar of homemade tomato passata to use for later!
I've recently been trying a lot of jam and chutney recipes to feature on my holiday charcuterie boards. My peach jalapeno jam and ginger mango chutney have both been huge hits, and my homemade lemon marmalade has been a total crowd pleaser every single time.
This time, I wanted to use up some of the fresh tomatoes that I had at hand, and whip up a simple dip or spread using it, and that's when I thought of this recipe.
Quick Look
- 🔪Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️Cook time: 20 minutes.
- 👪 Servings: 8.
- 📋Main ingredients: Tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, ginger, lemon juice.
- ♨️Cooking method: Chop and cook tomatoes with apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and lemon juice 🡢 add remaining ingredients and continue cooking until tomatoes soften 🡢 cool down and refrigerate before using.
- ⭐Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣Serving ideas: Team up the tomato jam with some crackers an other appetizers like butternut squash chips or cream cheese dates.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
- Bold, complex flavors with a great balance of sweet, savory, and spicy- just like my sweet pepper relish.
- Made using fresh, simple ingredients and perfect to make and store for weeks.
- Incredibly versatile, delicious and easy to make.
Recipe Ingredients
Tomatoes: Use Plum or Roma tomatoes for best results. You could make do with other varieties too, but the water content in the tomatoes may affect the texture of the jam.
Apple cider vinegar: For that tangy base. You can use regular white vinegar too, but I love using apple cider for that delicate fruity flavor.
Brown sugar: To balance the acidity with some sweetness. Feel free to use white sugar or my homemade date powder if you want to.
Lemon juice: Just a bit, for that citrusy zing.
Ginger: For that earthy heat. I turn to my Air Fryer dehydrated ginger when I don't have fresh ginger at hand.
Red pepper flakes: For the heat. Use as much as your taste buds can tolerate.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- For a bit of color, you can also add some chopped jalapenos into the mix. I like to add a bit of my dehydrated jalapeno flakes sometimes when I want an extra bit of heat.
- You can also add some ground spices like cumin or cinnamon into the mix for a bit of additional flavor.
- For some extra flavor, swap the sea salt for an infused salt like my citrus flavored salt to season the tomato jam.
How to Make Spicy Tomato Jam
Step 1: Chop the tomatoes into 1 inch chunks and remove the center and seeds.
Step 2: Transfer to a pan over low heat.
Step 3: Add brown sugar, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and grated ginger.
Step 4: Add apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat.
Step 5: Keep stirring and cooking until the tomatoes soften and most of the liquid evaporates.
Step 6: Remove from heat, cool, transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
💭Top Tip
To make things quicker, chop the tomatoes into finer, smaller chunks instead of the larger chunks which take longer to break down.
Got some more tomatoes leftover? Use them to make some oven dehydrated tomatoes or a nice tomato tartare.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Make sure you keep stirring the mixture frequently- the tomatoes can end up burning pretty quickly if you're not careful.
- If you don't like the peel, you can blanch the tomatoes in hot water and shock them in cold water for a few minutes, peel them and then use them for the recipe. I did this when I made my homemade fire roasted tomatoes.
- Since you're essentially preserving fresh fruit here, make sure you pick tomatoes that are ripe, firm and unblemished.
- You can also use cherry tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes if that's what you have at hand. Just make sure you halve them and cook them until they soften and almost fall apart. And of course- use your leftover cherry tomatoes to make a nice cherry tomato confit.
How to Use Spiced Tomato Jam
This spicy tomato jam is incredibly versatile! Spoon it into your sandwiches, wraps and burgers or create a simple appetizer by topping it on some salted crackers along with a dollop of cream cheese- like I did! Team them up with some fried stuffed olives, a nice olive tapenade or my favorite spicy Italian dipping oil and some crusty bread.
Sometimes, I even use it as a topping instead of marinated tomatoes that I use for my classic Bruschetta dip.
You can also team it up with your breakfast toast or breakfast eggs when you're craving for a spicy kick, or just enjoy it as a side to go with any of your favorite meals.
Troubleshooting and FAQs
Yes, you can! Just make sure you drain as much of the excess liquid as you can before you use them for the recipe.
You can store the spicy tomato jam for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator- but I doubt it'll last that long. Just make sure you cool the jam completely before you refrigerate it.
Yes, you can! Use a freezer-safe container to store the jam and it should stay fresh for up to 3 months. Just remember to thaw it before you use it.
More Condiment Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this spicy tomato jam or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Spicy Tomato Jam
Ingredients
- 4-5 tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes into 1 inch chunks and remove the center and seeds.
- Transfer to a pan over low heat.
- Add brown sugar, red pepper flakes, lemon juice and grated ginger.
- Add apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-low heat.
- Keep stirring and cooking until the tomatoes soften and most of the liquid evaporates.
- Remove from heat, cool, transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
Notes
- To make things quicker, chop the tomatoes into finer, smaller chunks instead of the larger chunks which take longer to break down.
- Make sure you keep stirring the mixture frequently- the tomatoes can end up burning pretty quickly if you're not careful.
- You can also use cherry tomatoes if you want to.
- Experiment with different seasonings and spices to adjust the taste to your liking.
