Tomato Jam

Circle B Kitchen

Recipe from The Minimalist, Mark Bittman

The recipe says to boil the tomato mixture down for an hour and 15 minutes, but it took mine closer to an hour and a half. That might have been because my tomatoes were really juicy, but judge for yourself and cook this until it's as thick as you would like it to be. It has sometimes taken as long as 2 hours for it thicken completely. Also, I did not add the ginger, but put it in if you're so inclined. And don't skimp on the spice! I used 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes and it was perfect. Add more if you think you'd like it spicier.

1 1/2 pounds good ripe tomatoes (Roma are best), cored and coarsely chopped

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh grated or minced ginger (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeño or other peppers, stemmed, seeded and minced, or red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste.

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy medium saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.

2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture has consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour 15 minutes (or longer). Taste and adjust seasoning, then cool and refrigerate until ready to use; this will keep at least a week.

Yield: About 1 pint.