Old Fashioned Tomato Jam Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jun 25, 2026 If you’ve never tried an old fashioned tomato jam recipe, you’re in for a surprise. I slowly simmer fresh tomatoes until they become rich, sweet, and perfectly tangy, creating a spread that’s incredibly versatile. It’s one of my favorite ways to elevate burgers, grilled cheese, charcuterie boards, and even scrambled eggs.
I LOVE making jam. There is nothing more satisfying than smearing a sandwich or cracker with a scoop of sweet and/or savory preserves that you made yourself from scratch. Tomato jam is a southern condiment that’s been enjoyed for generations. Not only is it a delicious spread to enjoy, but this recipe is also terrifically easy to prepare. Prep time is only 10 minutes, and you can finish it off either in the freezer or using traditional canning methods. My homemade tomato jam recipe is a classic for whenever we have a bounty (or excess) of summertime tomatoes. It’s a rare savory jam that’s brimming with deep, smoky, and slightly sweet flavors.
PS, if you are looking for more saucy dips, check out my famous cocktail sauce recipe!
Linda – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oh lordy, I just made this and is it ever good. Pretty much followed the recipe to the letter and it’s seductively yummy. Sampled it on a crostini with a bit of Feta Cheese and “betcha can’t eat just one” rang in my ears. I will have to peruse your website for more tasty tidbits. This is a winner and will be on the table come the July 4th holiday. Thank you!!!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Simple Ingredients – In my humble opinion, this 8-ingredient recipe is the best way to use juicy, ripe tomatoes and make sure that none go to waste.
Great For Gifting – This savory preserves recipe is the perfect DIY gift to package up in a cute jar with a ribbon on top. Make this homemade recipe the old-fashioned way on a stovetop, and have plenty of jars on hand for storing. Your friends will love it… At least mine do.
Versatile Use – I love that you can spread this jam on just about anything, from eggs to toast to grilled cheese. Like my freezer jam recipe, it tastes great with all sorts of dishes, both sweet and savory.
Key Ingredients & Tips
- Tomatoes – I use ripened, juicy tomatoes like Roma or Plum tomatoes for the best results. But any garden tomato will work!
- Brown sugar – I like light brown sugar to give this jam just the right amount of sweet, deep flavor.
- Ginger – You’ll need some fresh grated ginger. I find it offers a much zippier flavor than ground ginger.
- Spices – For that extra kick of flavor, I use a combination of spices including ground cumin, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder.
How To Make
Prep the Tomatoes – First, I chop the tomatoes into small pieces and remove any loose seeds. You don’t have to get every last one, but removing the excess helps the jam thicken a little faster. Then I grate the fresh ginger so it melts right into the jam as it cooks.
Find the full recipe with detailed instructions, a video tutorial, and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Simmer – I add the chopped up tomatoes, ginger, and all the remaining ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it reaches a boil, I reduce the heat a little for a gentle simmer.
I let the jam cook for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring every so often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As it cooks, the tomatoes break down, the liquid slowly evaporates, and all those sweet, tangy flavors become richer and more concentrated.
Is It Done? – I know the jam is ready when it’s thick, glossy, and spreads easily on a spoon. If I drag a spoon across the bottom of the pot, the jam should briefly hold the line before slowly flowing back together. Remember, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t wait until it’s overly stiff in the pot.
Store – Once the jam reaches the perfect consistency, I remove it from the heat and carefully spoon it into clean jars. You can refrigerate it if you plan to enjoy it soon, freeze it for later, or process the jars using a water-bath canner for longer storage.
I love keeping a jar in the fridge because it’s delicious on biscuits, burgers, grilled cheese, charcuterie boards, or spooned over cream cheese with crackers!
Recipe Variations
- Bacon – Sometimes I add in 1 cup of crumbled cooked bacon before simmering for a smoky and meaty twist.
- Herbs – Toss in some rosemary, thyme, and sage while the sauce is simmering for a more fragrant and herby flavor.
- Spicy – If I’m feeling spicy, Idd in a sprinkling of cayenne pepper or more red pepper flakes to make this jam a tad hotter.
- Refined sugar-free – You can swap the brown sugar with honey or agave if you’re looking for a refined sugar-free alternative.
- Low-sodium – Skip the salt altogether for a low-sodium version of this sauce.
Storage Notes
Homemade jam can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Once it has been opened, keep it stored in the fridge and use it within 2-3 weeks. Use this recipe and use a classic canning method for longer storage.
You can also store it in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many delicious uses for my old fashioned tomato jam! I like to use it as a savory spread on burgers and sandwiches.
I also love to scoop this jam into a ramekin and serve it with my favorite charcuterie board items, or serve it as an appetizer with whipped ricotta cheese and crackers.
You can also add spoonfuls of my homemade tomato jam into creamy soups like tomato basil bisque for a sweet twist, or serve on top of these warm buttermilk drop biscuits!
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, yes. You can use any tomatoes to make jam, however, the yield will change depending on the water content of the tomato! Large heirloom tomatoes might result in less jam since they have more water that will be cooked off. You can use a combination of tomatoes such as cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes or roma tomatoes!
If you need the jam to be thicker, simply keep cooking it! It will start to cook down with more time and become thicker and thicker. Make sure to stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn!
You can tell your jam is done when most of the liquid has been cooked out of it, but not all. You want it to be a dark, jammy consistency. If you can drag a spoon through the middle of the pot and the jam just slowly fills the hole back in, then you are good to go!
More Tomato Recipes
Old Fashioned Tomato Jam Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes roma or plum
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Chop the tomatoes and remove any loose seeds. Grate the fresh ginger.
- Set out a medium saucepot. Add all the ingredients. Bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 1 – 1 ½ hours, stirring regularly, so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
- Once the tomato jam looks thick and glossy, turn off the heat. Place in jars and either can, freeze, or refrigerate.
This is also my go to recipe. It’s easy and delicious, we eat it in everything, goes great with all proteins and great on cream cheese and crackers!
This is delicious and spicy BUT I have an important question. Can I put it in sterilized jars and then into the refrigerator WITHOUT going through the canning process. Is this what you mean when you say it will last 2 months in the refrigerator?
This is my go to recipe. We love it, it is so versatile as well as tasty.
Replace the tomato on a BLT with tomato jam!
Love this recipe – I make it regularly and use it most days – delish!
Can you leave out the ginger? What can you substitute for the ginger? Also, has anyone tried green tomatoes instead of red?
Hi Kim!
Yes, you can leave it out or possibly substitute a very small amount of ground allspice or clove. I would add only 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon. Hope this helps!
Very tasty. I used it with garlic confit and it was a hit
It’s delish! A bit watery but hoping it will gel up as it cools. One thing is there are a lot of detached tomato skins in it–is this normal? I don’t want to put thru a sieve bc the consistency may be affected but is there a quick way to get rid of them or should I have done something different (ie blanching them prior to cooking)? Thanks!
Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water until the tomato skins split. They should slide right off. Another way to remove skins is to cut tomatoes in half, put them cut side down on a rimmed cookie sheet covered with non-stick foil. Bake 30 min. At 400 degrees. The skins pop right off when you pinch them, and the tomatoes have roasted flavor that probably would enhance the jam.
Wow!!! My new favorite recipe! Thanks so much!
Of course, I tweaked it a bit – I doubled the recipe, but used 2/3 c brown sugar and 2/3 c maple syrup, added 2 capfuls of basalmic vinegar, and used chipotle and Aleppo pepper in place of the cumin and pepper flakes.
Toast some baguette slices and smear with goat cheese and jam – heavenly!!! The whole family is raving about it, so I’m going to have to make more next week….
AMAZING! I am immediately making some more with my fresh tomatoes. I added half a lemon rind and all and some paprika and I have never tasted anything so good! Thank you!
Made it today with my garden fresh Roma tomatoes and threw in a few beef steak tomatoes. This recipe is awesome and will stay on my list from now on. Thank you for sharing
Great jam, I’m not a person who puts ketchup on hotdogs but this jam is delicious on them. I use the jam along with my homemade sweet pepper relish. I didn’t use crushed red pepper flakes but did substitute it with chipotle powder but about a little less then a quarter teaspoon, it really does need this little kick of spice. I made my first batch with the skin on the tomatoes but we ended up picking the skins out before eating do subsequent batches had the skins removed, and I used regular garden tomatoes and had to cook it longer to get it jammy! It’s a definite keeper!!