Tomato jam (or tomato jelly, jamato)
is a type of
fruit preserve
Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes Acid#In food, acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or Spread (food), spread.
There are many varieties of fruit preserves globall ...
prepared with
tomato
The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...
es and sugar.
Overview
Green tomatoes are used in some preparations.
Some preparations may use
honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
, and some include
bacon
Bacon is a type of Curing (food preservation), salt-cured pork made from various cuts of meat, cuts, typically the pork belly, belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central in ...
. It has been described as "a cross between
marmalade
Marmalade (from the Portuguese ''marmelada'') is a fruit preserves, fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It also has been made from lemons ...
and
ketchup
Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. "Ketchup" now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts, amon ...
". Some commercially prepared varieties are produced. It is sometimes used in the preparation of sandwiches similar to a
BLT
A BLT is a type of sandwich, named for the initials of its primary ingredients, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. It can be made with varying recipes according to personal preference. Simple variants include using different types of lettuce or tomato ...
, using the jam in place of tomato.
Tomato jam has been described as a popular
condiment
A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...
in South Africa.
History
In 1840 in the United States, a recipe was published in the ''American Farmer'' that involved straining
stewed tomatoes through cloth, adding an equal amount of sugar, and then boiling the mixture for a few hours.
In 1843 in the U.S., a recipe for preparing tomato jam was published in the ''Boston Cultivator''.
The preparation process included rubbing stewed tomatoes through a
sieve
A sieve (), fine mesh strainer, or sift is a tool used for separating wanted elements from unwanted material or for controlling the particle size distribution of a sample, using a screen such as a woven mesh or net or perforated sheet m ...
, adding an equal amount of sugar, and then stewing the mixture into a jam.
See also
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Fruit ketchup
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List of spreads
This is a list of spreads. A Spread (food), spread is a food that is literally spread, generally with a knife, onto food items such as bread or Cracker (food), crackers. Spreads are added to food to enhance the flavour or texture of the food, whic ...
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List of tomato dishes
This list includes dishes in which the main ingredient or one of the essential ingredients is tomato. Dishes prepared with tomato sauces as a primary ingredient are not included in this list.
Tomato dishes
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Tomato chutney
References
Further reading
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{{Condiments
Jam
Jams and jellies