When Life Gives You Tomatoes….
It’s that time of year when fresh produce is in abundance. Whether you grow your own garden, visit a beautiful Farmer’s Market, or stop at one of many roadside produce stands in your neck of the woods, there are so many fresh, colorful choices! One of my favorites is the extremely versatile tomato, and I have seen bushels of them everywhere! So, when life gives me tomatoes, I make Tomato Bacon Jam!
“Tomato Jam?” you ask. Oh yes, it is delicious, and it sits gloriously on top of so many foods! Try it on a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese, or serve it with a cracker and cheese platter. The slight acidity perfectly balances out the sweetness of the jam, so it can be both a sweet or a savory condiment. For this recipe I added some saltiness with the bacon and just a touch of heat. We topped some beautiful medium-rare cheeseburgers with this amazing jam and it was perfection!
No Ketchup Required
This Tomato Bacon Jam recipe is simple to make. You can leave out the bacon if you are vegetarian (or just don’t like bacon…whaaat?). You can leave out the jalapeño if you don’t like any heat (or add more if you do). I used fresh plum tomatoes, but you can also use Roma or Cherry tomatoes if you have those instead.
Cook the bacon until just slighty crisp (don’t over cook or the crumbles will be too hard in the jam). Move to the side to cool. Once cooled, crumble into small pieces.
Add all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning. Reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to a jam consistency. Remove from heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
See? I told you it was simple! But the flavor will make this your jam too! We are trying the next batch on grilled hot dogs and I can’t wait! In the meantime, if you’re looking for something else to do with that bumper crop of tomatoes, try these amazing Heirloom Tomato Tarts. You won’t be disappointed!
I can’t wait for you to try this! Give me a shout out if you do, and let me know in the comments below what you would serve this on. And while you’re here, click on the subscribe button on the right so you don’t miss any more deliciousness!
Happy Cooking!
Michele
Tomato Bacon Jam
This Tomato Bacon Jam is packed with bright tomatoes, smoky bacon, a little heat, and is the perfect condiment on just about anything!
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bacon
- 2 pounds ripe tomatoes – cored and coursely chopped plum or roma work best
- 1 Jalapeño pepper – cored, seeded, and minced leave some seeds if you prefer more heat
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 pinch ground cloves
Instructions
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In a skillet, fry the bacon until it slightly crisp. Don't over cook it or it will be too hard in the jam. Remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel. When cooled, crumble into small pieces.
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Add all ingredients (including crumbled bacon) into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning.
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Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces and thickens to the consistency of jam. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
