Tomato Jam
Tamatar Jam
Sunita Gupta
This is a simple jam to make, specially when you have a glut of tomatoes in your garden. This recipe comes from my sister in-law in Delhi. This jam can be made from green tomatoes too. - Mamta.
Ingredients
1 kg. medium-ripe tomatoes, washed and cut into wedges. Over ripe tomatoes are low in pectin
1 kg. sugar
1 cup water
6 tbsp. lime/lemon juice
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick
Instructions
Place tomatoes, water, ginger and cinnamon in and bring to boil.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
Strain through a sieve, to remove seeds, skins and bits of ginger.
Place in a large pan, add sugar, lemon juice and bring to boil.
Simmer briskly until setting point is reached*, approximately 20-25 minutes.
Rest for 10-15 minutes and then bottle**.
Notes
Setting point*; a) Allow the jam to sheet (drop) from a wooden paddle/spatula. If it partly congeals and breaks/drops from it in triangles, last triangle remaining suspended for 8-10 seconds, setting point is reached. b) Chill a couple of saucers in the freezer. Place one teaspoon of jam on the saucer, allow it to cool for a minute and then part it with a finger. If it remains parted or skin crinkles, it is ready to set. c) Pick a little jelly on the tip of you index finger from the ladle, and stretch it between finger and thumb. If you get one wire pulling out, it is ready. Allow it to cool just a little before bottling. d) A temperature of 221? F to 222? F (104?-105? C approximately) is reached. All thermometers are not accurate. Therefore, carry out other tests for setting point as well. Stop boiling as this is the setting point
**Bottling; Clean jar in a dish washer or in boiling water and allow to dry. Place jars on a wooden/heat proof surface. Place a spoon in the jar (it stops the jar from cracking), and fill all jars, leaving 1/4 inch on the top. Close the screw top lids and turn the jars up-side-down. This creates a better seal and prevents mould formation; a tip from Ian Hoar. Allow to cool. Label each jar, including date and store.