Spicy Tomato Jam
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Spicy tomato jam is thick, sweet, spicy, and absolutely delicious. Spread this spicy jam, or marmalade, on sandwiches or burgers, or serve it as a dip. It’s also perfect for canning or tomato freezer jam!
Every good tomato jam starts with ripe tomatoes, sugar, a little acid, and the right mix of spices—and this version leans into bold, savory flavor. I roast the tomatoes instead of boiling them, which concentrates their sweetness and gives the jam a deep, rich base.
Once blended, I season it with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chilis for a balance of sweet, savory, and just the right amount of heat. The result is thick, glossy, and intensely flavorful, with a sticky texture that makes it hard not to sneak a spoonful.
It reminds me a bit of a chutney—sweet at first, then savory and gently spicy. The heat is there, but mellowed by the natural sweetness of the tomatoes, so everything feels balanced and layered.
How to can spicy tomato jam
Canning this spicy tomato jam means that you can store it in your pantry for up to a year. And once you open it, the jam will last for a month in your fridge.
When canning hot liquids, we prefer the simpler method of pouring the hot jam into hot sterilized jars and then carefully sealing the jars. It’s much easier than the boiling water canning method.
The basic rundown is that you sterilize your jars in the oven, sterilize your lids by boiling them, then pour the hot jam into the hot jars and loosely screw on the lids. As the jam cools, the air will be forced out of the jars so it can be safely stored at room temperature for a long time.
See Naomi Cakes’ detailed tutorial on how to can hot liquids.
How to serve spicy tomato jam
Not sure what to do with your spicy tomato jam? Here are a few ways you serve it:
- Use it as the best-ever cocktail sauce for shrimp
- Spread it on a cheese sandwich
- Dip your fries into it
- Put some on a charcuterie board <- this!!
- Serve it on top of grilled salmon
- Pile in on a guacamole burger
- Spread it on cheese and crackers as a quick snack or appetizer
- Serve it with Thai fish cakes
Spicy Tomato Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb ripe tomatoes (cut in half)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes (or 4 bird's eye chilis)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (can be reduced sodium)
- ½ cup palm sugar (or brown sugar)
- 3 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt evenly over top. Roast in the oven for 1 hour, or until tomatoes are very soft. Remove from oven and set them aside to cool slightly.2 lb ripe tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Add the cooled tomatoes and all other ingredients to your blender. Puree until smooth.1 teaspoon chili flakes, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons grated ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ cup palm sugar, 3 tablespoon white vinegar
- Pour the jam into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with sea salt. Allow the jam to cool slightly before pouring it into jars.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Just made this, only difference is that I added 1/2 a roasted Sweet Vidalia onion (I roasted it with the tomatoes. I had a taste during the last cook over medium heat and it is so DELICIOUS.
Great idea to add roasted onion!
Can this recipe be canned? As in water bath.
It cans very well!
How long does it keep in refrigerator? Looks delicious ?
It will keep well for up to 2 weeks. 🙂
Everyone should go make this right now!! It turned out so good. We put it on chicken burgers last night and I literally took the jar and just poured it over each bite. I couldn’t get enough! Perfect way to use up the ridiculous amount of tomatoes I have in my garden right now.
OMG so awesome! You totally made my day!!
How many jars do you get out of 1 batch?
Hi Angela,
The recipe makes 1 1/4 cups. Hope this helps ?