Receta Tomato-Basil Jam...
Read yesterday's post, leave me a comment, win the book, So Easy Herbal!
Now that THAT's out of the way...on to today's post...For 18 years I've tried to grow tomatoes - in vain - and this year was no exception...against the mister's wishes, ("If you want tomatoes just go to the damn store and BUY them!") I planted three cherry tomato plants - having given up completely on Big Boy's and Early Girl's. They looked so promising back in May...
Except that this picture was taken LAST WEEK! My tomato plants are the EXACT SAME SIZE they were when I planted them FOUR months ago! But, as you can see, I now have TWO green tomatoes so there is HOPE! Alas...one tomato plant up and died - I suppose it opted for suicide instead of the long, lengthy, tortuous death the others will suffer. When Diane said she was going to sun country to pick up fresh, organic tomatoes, I drooled and she kindly offered to bring me a box...
Twenty-five POUNDS of tomatoes! That's more tomatoes than I've grown in 18 years worth of trying!
Nine glorious quarts of tomatoes later and I STILL had 1/3 of the tomatoes left! Then I came across a recipe for Tomato-Basil Jam. Doesn't just the sound of that, Tomato-Basil Jam, have you thinking rustic Italian bruschetta or rustic Italian anything?? Well, it did me!
But I have to tell you, this recipe bedeviled me...I've made three batches now and all three times the jam didn't jam. It was more like syrup...but oh so good...it's surprisingly sweet and is as delicious on a piece of baguette or a slice of roast beef.
Tomato-Basil Jam...it's what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner...spread it over cheese on toast, top your bagel with it, drizzle it as a glaze over pork chops/chicken/turkey or do yourself a favor and eat it by the spoonful...seriously, it's THAT good.
There are many recipes on line for Tomato-Basil Jam, I used the one published by Yankee Magazine. And even though it didn't gel as I had hoped, I'm still giving you the recipe with a caution flag thrown in. My first batch was a bit runny. When I made the second batch I let the tomatoes drain a bit and also squeezed them gently to help them release their juices,
thinking less liquid would help make jam and not syrup. It didn't. On the third
batch I added in more pectin, about half of a box more, and while it was a bit more "jammy" it
still wasn't what you would call jam. So maybe this is just a bad recipe...and maybe you'll find another on line to try that will work...but I'd make this one again because it's so good, and maybe on my 4th try I'll add TWO boxes of pectin - I'll let you know!
- Tomato-Basil Jam - Adapted From Yankee Magazine
- 5 or 6 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
- 3 cups sugar, divided
- 1 package (1-3/4 oz.) powdered fruit pectin
- Place the tomatoes in a kettle. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat,
- cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and basil. In a
- small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the sugar and pectin and add to the
- tomatoes. Heat to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the
- remaining 2-3/4 cups sugar. Return to a rolling boil and cook for 1
- minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and skim off the foam.
- Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized 1/2-pint canning jars, leaving a
- 1/4-inch head-space. Seal with lids and process in a boiling-water bath
for 5 minutes. Yield: 2 1/2 pints.
"The only problem with women is men." ~ Kathie Sarachild