Tomato Jam Recipe with step by step pictures. Easy Tomato preserves or Thakkali jam recipe is made with tomatoes, sugar and cardamom. Healthy and simple jam using juicy tomatoes and sugar can be used as a spread for your toast or enjoy as dips too. In this blog post learn how to make homemade tomato jam without any preservatives or pectin.
Tomato Jam
One jam which Amma makes often is tomato jam. Believe it or not we usually have this jam with either veg biryani or chicken biryani. Yes It is true, we enjoy jam with biryani. If you haven't tried the combination yet, I strongly suggest you to give it a try.
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Every time tomatoes are in season, Amma makes a batch of tomato jam and tomato pickle. One of the staple dish we have in our fridge are these two.
About Tomato Jam (Thakkali Jam)
Jam making can be a therapeutic and satisfying process. Making homemade jam is not only healthy but it is cheaper and rewarding. The taste of homemade jam cannot be compared to the preservative and pectic packed store bought bottled jams. You can literally make jam using any vegetables or fruits. This tomato jam is a staple one in our home.
Easy and delicious tomato jam made with fresh tomatoes. This recipe is also called as tomato jam or thakkali jam. This is a simple jam recipe made without any preservatives or pectin. Combination of tomatoes, sugar and flavouring like cardamom makes the jam taste so good which makes it go perfect with a slice of toast or made into jam sandwich.
More Jam Recipes to Try
Tomato Jam Ingredients
Tomatoes - Make sure to use ripe tomatoes for this recipe. I like to choose country tomatoes more than Bangalore variety. Since country tomatoes also known as nattu thakkali has a little acidity, the jam taste delicious.
Sugar - I used white sugar in this recipe. You can use brown sugar which may alter the colour of the jam. If that doesn't bother you, you can use brown sugar.
Cardamom - this is the main flavouring for the jam. You can skip it if you prefer.
Salt - a pinch of salt goes a long way. It balance the taste and makes it delicious.
Ghee - I like to add a tsp of ghee purely for flavour.
How to Make Tomato Jam (Stepwise Pictures)
Making Tomato Puree
1)Take few tomatoes and wash them well. Make a plus like slash sign on the bottom of the tomatoes. This makes the peel of the tomatoes to come off easily.
2)Drop the tomatoes in boiling water and blanch for few seconds. It takes literally 30 seconds or so.
3)Now immerse the tomatoes in cold water. This stops the cooking process which makes the peel come off easily.
4)Now you can see the skin of the tomatoes will start to peel off. Gently Peel off the tomato skin.
5)Take the peeled tomatoes in a cutting board.
6)Chop them roughly.
7)Take chopped tomatoes in a blender jar.
8)Puree till smooth.
Cooking Tomato Jam
9)Now take pureed tomatoes, sugar in a cooking pot. Place the kadai on high heat and bring this to a full boil.
10)For flavouring I am using crushed cardamom. You can skip this if you don't prefer cardamom flavour.
11)Add a pinch of salt. This balance the taste of the jam.
12)Mix everything together and cook on medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
13)Once the jam has thickened. Add in a tsp of ghee and mix well.
14)Tomato Jam is ready.
15)Once the jam is cooled. Store in a clean dry glass jar in fridge. Enjoy with toast.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh ripe tomatoes, particularly country variety for the slight tart taste.
- Peeling tomato skin is optional, you can skip if you don't want too.
- You can add more or less sugar depending to your preference.
- You can use vanilla extract for flavouring.
- For brighter tomato jam, a small pinch of red food colour can be used.
Storage
You can store homemade tomato jam in fridge and use up to 3 weeks. For more storage, add a tbsp of lemon juice to the jam which helps in the preservation.
More Jam Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe Card
Tomato Jam Recipe | Thakkali Jam Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
- Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 5 large Tomatoes
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 no Cardamom crushed
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 tbsp Ghee
Instructions
- Take tomatoes and make slashes all over the tomatoes..Heat water in a sauce pan,bring it to a boil. Add the tomatoes in and cook for 1 mins. Remove it and place in ice cold water. Now peel away the skin, it will come pretty easily.
- Chop up these peeled tomatoes and add it to a blender and make into a puree.
- Add this puree, sugar, cardamom and salt in a kadai and heat it up. Mix well. Bring this to a boil and cook it for 15 mins. It will turn reddish colour. When it gets thick add a tblspn of ghee and mix well. It will be thick and glooby. Allow it to cool down.
- Once cooled, Transfer it to a clean container and store in fridge.
Notes
- Use fresh ripe tomatoes, particularly country variety for the slight tart taste.
- Peeling tomato skin is optional, you can skip if you don't want too.
- You can add more or less sugar depending to your preference.
- You can use vanilla extract for flavouring.
- For brighter tomato jam, a small pinch of red food colour can be used.
Storage
You can store homemade tomato jam in fridge and use up to 3 weeks. For more storage, add a tbsp of lemon juice to the jam which helps in the preservation.Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Santosh Bangar
it is realy yummy as ur blog
Santosh Bangar
it is realy yummy as ur blog
Santosh Bangar
it is realy yummy as ur blog
jeyashrisuresh
delicious jam
ANU
wow this reminds me of my mom..she used to mk this for us all the time!
Mélange
My Mouth waters Aarthi..Extremely yummy.Nice idea to preserve as well..Happy Tamil New year to you and family.
Mahi
தமிழ்ப் புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள்!
தக்காளி ஜாம் பார்க்கவே சூப்பரா இருக்கு!
Prasanth
nice work..
R
wow so innovative, yumm...
Nalini's Kitchen
Tasty and delicious jam.....
Sharmilee! :)
Homemade is always best...looks yum
Hema
Very yummy homemade jam, looks superb..
Gayathri NG
Tangy n flavorful Jam...
maha
Wow delicious..can just imagine the taste..yummy jam.
maha
the mad
Wow this is real yummy. Love the colour.
Trix
That sounds great - I would love it on a buttermilk biscuit!
Jagruti
The tagline "Without preservatives" is so attractive since these its so difficult to find anything without them.
Lovely way to use up seasonal produce 🙂
Anonymous
Your step by step pictures are a great help..makes cooking so easy
beena stephen
Good one .will try
ams
aarthi what is the shelf life of this jam when kept in the frigde??
Aarthi
@amsu can keep it for more than a month
Suzanne
I never try tomato jam before but this looks good.
Virgie
Hi Aarthi
I'm a regular follower of your recipes. Thanks for your simple and delightful posts.
Just a doubt....did u use natti tomatoes or the hybrid ones?