Fabulous Tomato Jam

This is a new one for my pantry and it's delicious.  The recipe is from Marissa Maclenan of Food in Jars fame.  This jam is a little sweet, a little spicy and tastes somewhat like ketchup and but so much better... My son used it as a base for a chicken wings baste and sauce- delicious...

Summer 2019 provided prodigious quantities of heirloom tomatoes in my garden.  This jam is perfect for using up those tomatoes.  Happy to be eating "my" tomatoes well into the winter as part of a cheese board, right beside the meats or as a topping for sandwiches, burgers  or sausages. 

This recipe makes about five 250ml jars, depending on the thickness of the jam and the type of tomato you use.


Ingredients
5 lbs          tomatoes, finely chopped (the food processor works especially well)
3 1/2 cups sugar
8 tbsp        bottled lemon juice
2 tsp          freshly grated ginger
1 tsp          cinnamon
1/2 tsp       ground cloves
1 tbsp        salt
1/2 tbsp     red chili flakes (or more, to taste)
1               lemon, quartered and added to simmering jam

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce temperature to a simmer. Stirring regularly, cook at a low boil until it reduces to a sticky, jammy mess. This will take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours, depending on how high you keep your heat.  Or, I bring the tomatoes to a boil, then lower to low and allow to slowly simmer for about ten hours.  Low and slow with a stir once in a while.

When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove from heat and fill jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Wipe rims, apply lids and twist on rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes.

When time is up, remove jars from water bath and allow them to cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, test seals. Store jars in a cool, dark place for up to one year.