Tomato Preserves

Carolyn grows tomatoes every year and usually buys boxes of them as well for her canning needs. One year when she had more tomatoes left over than she knew what to do with, she decided to try something different and make them into preserves. Besides being tasty spread on toast, these tomato preserves turned out to be a very versatile condiment for meats and sauces.

MAKES: about six 8-ounce jars

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon pickling spices
• One 1⁄2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 medium lemons, thinly sliced and seeded
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 2 pounds red, yellow, or green tomatoes, peeled
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Tie the pickling spices and piece of ginger in a spice bag or in 2 or 3 layers of fine-knit cheesecloth tied with a string.
2. In an 8-quart stainless steel stockpot, combine the spice bag, sugar, lemon slices, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer until they soften and break down into chunks and the syrup thickens, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove and discard the spice bag. Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Remove the pot from the heat.
4. Ladle the preserves into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove any air bubbles. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp paper towel. Apply hot lids and screw bands.
5. Process 8-ounce and pint jars in a water bath canner for 20 minutes (see p. 34 for instructions). Remove from the water bath canner and let cool for 12 to 24 hours. Check the seals and remove the screw bands. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

• Tomato preserves are great used as a toast topping, but they really shine when used to glaze meats, especially chicken.
• Tomato preserves can be used on their own or in combination with barbecue sauce when roasting chicken.
• They can also be added to a simple pan sauce to make it complex and flavorful.