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Green Tomato Jam – Green Tomato Recipe

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Last Updated on October 14, 2023 by Leah Hall

This green tomato recipe is perfect for those left over green tomatoes from your summer harvest!

 

As the days start to get cooler and the leaves start to turn yellow, one of the few things that tend to stay green is the tomatoes that remain on the vines in the garden.  This year we had a bumper crop of tomatoes that provided a bunch of great meals all summer. We had a bounty of tomatoes that led us to have more than we knew what to do with! Normally when we have a surplus of tomatoes, we just make Bloody Marys like our Spicy Bloody Mary!

 

Green Tomatoes

Of course, once the weather starts turning cool, those tomato vines that were producing such a bounty keep putting on fruit. But, without those hot summer days to turn them red, in most gardens these green tomatoes will end up going to waste. In our house, we hate to see that produce go to waste.

 

We started thinking of how we could use some of the gallon buckets full of green tomatoes! We just didn’t want to throw them all away! So, we started looking at tomato jam recipes.

Green tomato jam in jar with white spoon. Green tomatoes and flowers all around

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Green Tomato Jam - pile of green tomatoes on cutting board. What Ingredients are Needed for the Green Tomato Jam?

This is a sour jam, even though there is a lot of sugar in it. I mean, cups of sugar. But, the unripe green tomatoes have such a unique and different flavor from ripe tomatoes at the end of the season.

  • Green Tomatoes – Obviously. But, use tomatoes that don’t have a chance to ripen. Which means unripe red tomatoes.
  • Brown Sugar – this gives it a bit more richness and darker sweetness than just regular granulated sugar. Plus, makes it a little thicker, too.
  • Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed as always, is best!
  • Sugar – because the brown sugar isn’t sweet enough, we add granulated sugar, too!
  • Salt – to cut the sweetness slightly, and always an important flavor addition.
  • Vanilla Extract – this ingredient, working with the sugars gives a great intense flavor to the jam.
  • Lemon Zest – along with the lemon juice, this gives a great citrus addition to the recipe.

 

We aren’t big fans of the southern favorite fried green tomatoes. So, the past few years we have given a few away to friends then dumped the rest into the compost and called it a day.  This fall however was going to be different after having green tomato preserves at the bed and breakfast we stayed at in Napa.

Green tomato jam with white ceramic ispoon, green tomatoes behind.

The preserve we had was a rich golden color, an intriguing combination of tart and sweet. The flavor was reminiscent of tomatoes and citrus.  It was a great spread on toast and was a wonderful compliment to all kinds of breakfast foods (can we just say green tomato jam and bacon… to die for!)

Having this green tomato jam made us decide that this years crop of green tomatoes were not going to go to waste! So, we got to work on the green tomato jelly recipe!

Green tomato jam in jar. White spoon in front of it. green tomatoes behind.

Are Green Tomatoes Safe to Eat?

Tomatoes have a bit of a reputation that they can be poisonous. This is thanks to being related to the nightshade family. Ripe red tomatoes are highly nutritious, but the unripe green tomatoes can have a toxin that in a large enough quantity can make you sick. The safe answer is: Never eat raw green tomatoes!  Make sure they are cooked before consuming!

Green Tomato Jam on toast. On a white plate with basil, tomato behind. Green tomatoes for the jam

How to Make the Green Tomato Jam

We were searching for a recipe for tomato sauce in an old Italian cookbook when we ran across this recipe for a green tomato jam.  The recipe called for a base of honey and sugar to make a rich golden base. Since we didn’t have enough honey, we substituted in some brown sugar, which ended up making the base rich and caramel-y.

Green tomato jam being dripped ino a jar. Green tomatoes behind

Fresh squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest give a fresh citrus burst! This balances out the sweetness of the sugar base and brings the tartness of the tomatoes out.

 

Simply put, this recipe is easy, it just takes time to cook!

  • Prep Tomatoes – you need about 1.5- two pounds of green tomatoes. Rinse and dry them. Using a sharp knife, remove the core and cut in cubes or slices, weigh with a kitchen scale. If you would like, you can use a vegetable peeler to remove the tomato skin.
  • Ingredients – Add salt, sugars and lemon juice to the pan and place pan over medium heat.
  • CookBring to a low boil, constantly stirring. Let the mixture simmer, stirring regularly.
  • Finish – When almost finished, add in vanilla and lemon zest over low heat.
  • StorePour the hot mixture through a strainer and remove the seeds and skin. Store in pint jars, and place jars in the fridge.

 

Try another interesting tomato cocktail with fairly simple ingredients, our Nebraska Sunrise!

 

How to Use the Green Tomato Jam

There are a lot of tasty ideas for this green tomato jam:

  • spread on toast
  • compote on a charcuterie, perfect with a sharp cheese and small toasts
  • topping for a crostini
  • top a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers

 

Tips & Tricks

  • Other Flavors – we think this jam has a great flavor already, from the sugars, vanilla extract and both the lemon juice and lemon zest. But, if you are looking for some different great flavors in other tomato jam recipes, we have some ideas. Try a cinnamon stick or star anise in it while it cooks, or add in a red pepper before cooking, which gives it color and flavor. Sweeten this jam with local honey or can sugar instead of the sugars. Add in some orange juice instead of lemon juice.
  • Canning – you are able to can this like most jam recipes. Just use a boiling-water canner. More information here for jam canning.
  • Presents – if you have a bumper crop of green tomatoes at the end of summer, this is an easy way to get rid of them! If you end up with a few jars of green tomato jam, they make great Christmas presents too, and are a great flavor of summer for the winter months. Your final product will be appreciated, whether you can it, keep it in the fridge, or store in the freezer in freezer containers. You yourself may appreciate this too, if you keep some of your last years’ bounty!
  • Total yield for this recipe is around 3 cups, give or take.

 

Cheers!

 

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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!

Two tall glasses of Tomato Water Bloody Mary Cocktails made with vodka, lemon juice and hot sauce, garnished with lemon and lime curls.Tomato Water Bloody Mary Cocktail

 

Summer Breakfast – Bacon, Tomato Onion Egg Sandwich

Other Green Tomato Recipes

Green tomato jam - green tomatos, preserves, honey, brown sugar, tart, fall
Yield: 1

Green Tomato Jam

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

A delightful fall recipe that makes use of those green tomatoes you don't know what to do with! Make this green tomato jam as a great addition to any charcuterie board!

Ingredients

  • 6-8 medium green tomatoes, about 1.5-2 pounds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • fresh lemon zest, to taste, (no more than 1/4 teaspoon)

Instructions

Rough chop the tomatoes and place into a non-reactive sauce pan.

Add salt, sugar and lemon juice to the pan and place pan over medium heat.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring all the while to help break down the tomatoes and fully mix the ingredients.

Once at a boil, reduce heat to medium low, allowing the mixture to simmer for 35-40 minutes, stirring regularly to keep the mixture from scorching.

With about 5 minutes left on the simmer, add in vanilla and lemon zest. Stir until fully incorporated.

Pour the hot mixture into a strainer and remove the seeds and skin.

Place the strained mixture into a mason jar and allow to cool.

Will keep in the fridge for about 3 weeks.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

32

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 69Total Fat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 38mgCarbohydrates: 17.9gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 17.6gProtein: 0.2g

Did you make this recipe?

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Canning Recipe – Green Tomato Jam

Wednesday 16th of August 2023

[…] Canning Recipe – Green Tomato Jam […]

Selina N

Monday 12th of June 2023

Would be great if it had a weight for the amount of tomatoes as well as my cherry tomatoes make it confusing

Selina

Friday 23rd of June 2023

@The Noms, thanks! It did the 4 cups and it was lovely. Thank you

The Noms

Monday 12th of June 2023

Hi Selina, I am sorry we don't have a weight for you. If we make it again this fall I will make sure to weigh the tomatoes and find out for you! Cheers! Leah

May

Wednesday 19th of October 2022

Hi! Just came across this recipe as I was trying to find ways to use my unripe tomatoes. I have mainly cherry green tomatoes. How much in weight of tomatoes are you using? Thanks!

The Noms

Wednesday 19th of October 2022

Hey there! I would say around 4 cups of tomatoes. Not sure of the weight!

linda

Saturday 24th of September 2022

This recipe - Green Tomato Jam - looks very tasty. My question is how do I make it to produce 7 half pints at one time? Do you have a canning recipe for this recipe?

The Noms

Monday 26th of September 2022

Hi Linda, we have never made that amount before. This usually makes about a quart jar of jam. I would assume that you can just multiply the ingredients by the amount that you want to make? And we have never canned it, so I wouldn't have any idea about how to go about doing that.

Toni Morgan

Thursday 21st of October 2021

Is this recipe safe for canning. Hot water bath. Thank you

The Noms

Friday 22nd of October 2021

Hey there! We have been told that people have canned it! We haven't done it ourselves, but feel free to try. Cheers!

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