Aunt Della's Tomato Preserves Recipe

add review
#28739

Use this jam as a spread on sandwiches, mix it with cream cheese for a dip, or thin it with a little wine and use as a sauce or glaze on chicken or fish.

serves/makes:

ready in:

30-60 minutes

30 reviews
3 comments

ingredients

5 cups peeled and quartered tomatoes
5 cups sugar
1 lemon, sliced thinly and seeded
1 dash cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

directions

Put tomatoes, sugar, sliced lemon and cinnamon in large, heavy pot and bring to slow boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When foam rises to surface, add butter and continue stirring and simmering until preserves thicken, about 45 minutes. (To test, stick a fork into preserves. When preserves cling to tines of fork, it should be thick enough to can.)

Pour preserves into sterilized jars, seal and process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.

added by

terrystz

recipe tips

Make sure all canning jars and lids are sterilized before use to prevent contamination.

Stir the tomato mixture frequently to prevent sticking and burning at the bottom.

Use ripe tomatoes for the best flavor.

Adding a small amount of pectin can help thicken the preserves if they are too runny.

Remove any foam or scum that forms on the surface for a clearer preserve.

The preserves will thicken as they cool, so don't overcook.

Label your jars with the date so you can keep track of their shelf life.

Try adding a bit of orange zest for a different flavor.

Store the jars in a cool, dark place.

Use the preserves within a year for the best flavor.

common recipe questions

Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe?

Reducing sugar may affect the texture and shelf life of the preserves. If you reduce it, consume the preserves sooner and store them in the refrigerator.

Is there a substitute for lemon?

While lemon adds flavor and acidity, you can use lime or a small amount of vinegar as a substitute.

How do I peel the tomatoes easily?

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then transfer them to cold water. The skins should peel off easily.

Can I add other spices to this recipe?

Yes, you can try different spices like cloves, nutmeg, or allspice.

How do I know if the preserves are properly sealed?

After processing, the lids should be sucked down and not flex when pressed. Any jars that haven't sealed should be refrigerated and used first.

Is it necessary to use a hot water bath for canning?

The hot water bath makes sure the preserves are shelf-stable and safe. If you plan to consume the preserves quickly and store them in the refrigerator, you can skip this step.

nutrition data

45 calories, 0 grams fat, 11 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams protein per tablespoon. This recipe is low in sodium. This recipe is low in fat.

more recipes like aunt della's tomato preserves

TOMATO PRESERVES WITH PECTIN

reviews & comments

Mike at Mesa REVIEW:
September 8, 2020

Excellent! We added 4 finely diced red serrano peppers to one half of the batch; both batches were excellent. That amount of serrano pepper only brought the half batch to a mild heat level. If you want more zip you could easily double that and be well within most folks' range for acceptable heat in a tomato preserve. My mom used to make this and passed before we got her recipe. This is very similar. We gave it to the grandkids on toasted Bays English Muffins with cream cheese and had them guess what kind of 'fruit' preserves this was. They were so amazed it was tomato preserves, and they loved it!
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
September 6, 2020

This recipe thickens up after cooling, remember Folks , a rolling boil and a mediom boil are two different temperatures. That may be the problem in the setting. Keep at medium boil. Good luck, its delicious
Cheryl REVIEW:
August 29, 2020

I am a first time canner also. Per peopleâs suggestions, I used 6 cups tomatoes, 4 1/2 cups sugar, more cinnamon, little ginger, dash cardamom, 3 jalapeÃ±o slices and the sliced lemon. Cooked 55 minutes. Love it. Thanks so much for the recipe.
G ma from the hood REVIEW:
August 3, 2020

First time making this it's taking a long time to thicken .I followed the recipe so I just let it cook .
Kathy Smith REVIEW:
June 28, 2020

I was very disappointed in this recipe. I find it hard to believe that anyone had success following this. It came out hard as a rock like hard candy. After further research I found that tomatoes have a lot of pectin so using that much sugar is not reasonable. Iâm very good at making jam and this was a complete fail. So disappointed to use my beautiful garden tomatoes for such a waste.
Samantha REVIEW:
June 21, 2020

I am trying to make this but it's not thickening at all. I've followed the recipe exactly as it says with no luck. It's just soup and I've cooked it for a couple hours now. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. Please help.
BonnieLee REVIEW:
September 20, 2018

I made this twice. I loved the taste, but a bit too much sugar. I tried it a third time with Pomonas pectin, and added a hot pepper. This time it turned out too thick. I will make it again but this time only use 4 cups of sugar and a touch of pectin.
Bonnie Lee H. REVIEW:
September 11, 2018

I made this today and just love it. I did add ginger, cardamon, and cloves. I am getting ready to make another batch for gifts.
SusanH REVIEW:
October 16, 2016

I don't know if it was my quantities, but I couldnt get this to gel at all. After an hour of cooking even resorted to adding pectin, but once processed, it's now still a liquid in the jars. I happened to end up with 6 cups chopped tomatoes, and per another reviewers suggestion used the juice of 2 lemons and sliced zest only. Still used the sugar as per recipe (still too sweet). Very disappointed after all that work.
JR REVIEW:
August 10, 2016

Made this last year and getting ready now to make it again. Tastes like the jam I grew up with years ago. I put 1/2 cinnamon stick into every jar before sealing.
Guest Foodie March 29, 2015

I can you do this recipe in a canning machine..I got a machine that mixes the ingredients and I got a machine that does the hot water bath and seals the jars?
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
September 17, 2014

Tastes good--but it did NOT cook the lemons in 45 minutes. Try 4 hours instead!
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
August 29, 2014

can you freeze it
Lovestocook REVIEW:
August 12, 2014

I made this today using all sorts of different tomatoes from my garden (yellow pear, black cherry, Roma, Cherokee Purple mainly) and it came out great. I halved the recipe and got three of those freezable plastic Bali jars full. I didn't have any problems with it thickening.
nannanusa REVIEW:
May 28, 2014

This easy to use recipe is just like my Mothers,with a minor exception that I have used. I use the juice of the lemon with a little extra and then dice up the rinds into tiny bite size pieces par boil them in sugar water and adding them close to the end of the boiling process. Yummmmmy!
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
October 23, 2013

Another first time tomato jam maker here. I followed the recipe exactly and it was quite good. I am intrigued by the suggestions to add something spicy like jalapeno so I might try that next year when I have more fresh tomatoes to work with.
Cory REVIEW:
October 9, 2012

First time for a Tomato Jam. Easy, good directions. Maybe a tad on the sweet side. I will try adding a jalapeno or hot pepper flakes next time but look forward to using it.
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
September 3, 2012

I doubled the receipe and also added Jalepenos....FANTASTIC!!I will give as holiday gifts and use at our parties and ropings served over creamed cheese with baby shrimp on top! Can't wait!!
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
July 22, 2012

The best recipe so far! But I had to cook a little longer than 45 min. They taste great and really look pretty in jars, no one in my family eats them but me. Thank you for posting this recipe!!! I agree with every one else this is going in family recipes with 5 stars stamp on it.....last year I made some they turned out like stiff honey i still ate them. This recipes one is like fig and pear preserves yummy!!!! Has any one ever made cantaloupe preserves? They came in strong this year in garden you can only eat so many.
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
July 18, 2012

This is now my favorite Tomato Preserve recipe!
Sandra REVIEW:
February 22, 2011

This recipe was super easy and very tasty. I'm a first-time jam maker, so I am thankful that it was this easy and this tasty. Definitely a recipe I would recommend and keep, and really easy to make.
shekat REVIEW:
June 28, 2010

I have used other tomato preserve recipes in the past but this one the best by far!. The flavors are well balanced and it set beautifully. I started with just picked purple cherokees from my garden and it has a rich, deep color. I only got 5 half pints though.This is a keeper recipe.
jacobsgranny REVIEW:
August 26, 2009

I used to eat this from my grandmothers table for years and lost the recipe. I used this one which sounds a tad different and it was just outstanding. I did not use all splenda because it will be bitter sometimes used with fruit, so I used 3 cups splenda and 2 cups sugar and a happy marriage was found to help save carbs and the recipe. Thanks so much.
mlb August 10, 2009

how long is the shelf life? i like to be able to tell people how receive it when they should eat it by.thanks in advance!
DD September 22, 2008

I could not get this to thicken. Would Sure Jel have helped? I doubled the batch also. Did that make a difference.
- CDKitchen Staff Reply:
  
  Doubling the batch without first trying it as written could have altered the end result. Some recipes don't resize perfectly so ideally you should test them first before resizing them. Or, on the safe side you can simply make 2 separate batches.
RadioDJgirl REVIEW:
September 12, 2008

I had never heard of such a thing as tomato preserves till I read it in one of the "Little House On The Prairie" books. Since I had a garden full of them, I thought I'd give it a try. This was my first time canning anything and I'm very happy with the results and had fun doing it! I want to try it again soon! I did cook it a little longer since the recipe says you have to wait till the syrup sticks to a fork when you dip it in. That was very helpful for this novice canner to know. I hope you like the photo I submitted of my finished product.
mulemania REVIEW:
February 24, 2008

Ended up making two batches, easy, yum, yum, yum. Will be a regular for my excess tomatoes.
Magoo REVIEW:
October 20, 2007

I have been hunting for this recipe for weeks. I lost my moms and so far this is the closet. We love the preserve and it sure brings back good memories to find it and smell it cooking.
Dragonfly REVIEW:
October 1, 2007

My mother also made tomato preserves from tomatoes in our garden, but after I grew up I could never find any in stores.This recipe is WONDERFUL!!!! As is!!! Thank you.I tried the suggestion someone made of using Splenda. I find that one CANNOT use Splenda (1 cup for 1 cup of sugar)... my tomato jam turned out bitter, bitter, bitter and I had to toss it out.To me, this recipe is well worth using a little sugar.
Guest Foodie REVIEW:
July 25, 2007

My Mother made this when I was a child. Since I am the only one who likes it I reduced the amount of tomatoes, adjusted to 2 slices of lemon and used Splenda. Still wonderful!!
Bobby REVIEW:
June 27, 2007

I had lost the recipe that my mother and wife, both of them have passed on, and wanted to make tomoto preserves and this is exactly the recipe they used. Neither was fond of it, but I liked it and have made it in the past couple years. I used more than a DASH of cinnimon like 1/2 t and 2 lemons. Goes good on English muffins.
Everyday Mommy REVIEW:
May 12, 2007

I made these just this evening and they are delectable. A wonderful, balanced flavor. Sweet, tart and delicious. An old-fashioned treat.
Judy REVIEW:
July 23, 2006

Very easy, very good. Maybe just a little too lemony. The next time I fix them, I'm cutting back on the lemon.

');

Aunt Della's Tomato Preserves Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)