Do these look familiar? I hope so. These are the typical tiny little tomatoes you find being sold by the vendors, whether in Tsumeb or Wernhill Park. You can buy a bag of six tomatoes for ten dollars (N$ 10). You don't know that these are also your typical jam tomatoes. Yes! Jam tomatoes, because they are generally sweeter and juicier compared to most imported varieties of tomatoes.
There's a lot more you can do with a tomato than your everyday salads and soups.
TOMATO JAM
A little strange twist to the traditional sweet, fruit-based jam. I made this jam for the first time this year and to my own surprise, I really enjoyed it.
"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" - Unknown
Ingredients
These ingredients are for a basic tomato jam, you can spice yours up according to your preferences- 1 kg fresh ripe and red jam tomatoes (you can find these at any street vendor of fruits and veggies)
- 2 1/2 cups white sugar
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon concentrate
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground ginger/ fresh ginger (optional)
Step 1: Preparation
Measure out all your ingredients before starting the cooking.
Make sure you have all your utensils clean and ready for use.
Step 2: Tomato peeling
Thoroughly wash your tomatoes. Cut an 'x' in the bottom of the tomato
(usually pointed end) boil water in a pot and add the tomatoes.
Let it boil for 3 minutes then remove it and allow it to cool
in a bowl before peeling it with a knife.
Step 3: Pulping/Crushing
Crush the tomatoes using a potato masher and sieve the pulp
(sieving is optional, you can also just cook the pulp as is after mashing).
Step 4: Cooking the jam
Add the pulp to a large pot. Add all the measured dry ingredients.
Cook until a thick consistency is reached. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice.
Step 5: Storage
Fill in glass jars and store in the fridge. This jam can last you a good few weeks.
It lasted only two weeks in my house because that's how good it is.
Does it work with different tomatoes?
Yes. I personally prefer jam tomatoes because they are smaller, easy to handle,
and very juicy. However, I have tried making the jam with regular store-bought
tomatoes like the ones found in Checkers and ShopRite and the jam comes out just fine.
What Does It Taste Like?
Tomato jam has a mix of tastes between sweet and savory. One important thing to note is
the ingredients. The ginger, cinnamon, and chili (if you add some which by the way you can)
all impart a flavor to the jam. Some of my test subjects described it as sweet ketchup.
You can enjoy this jam on a cheeseboard, toast, regular fresh bread, or crackers depending on how you like the taste.
My Final Product
Give it a try! Make sure to support locals by buying fruits and veggies from local vendors. And don't deprive your palate of the chance to explore. Try New Things!