Grandma's Tomato Jam

This is a jam I looked forward to every summer. I remember having it at my grandmother’s house when visiting and when I had my own home and my own garden I also made this yummy jam. Once again, it has been many years since I have made this jam and it still turned out just as yummy as I remember it.

6 cups of fresh tomato sauce (about a dozen medium to large tomatoes)

6 cups of sugar

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

Prepare the jars you plan to put jam in and the you will need to peel the tomatoes. The easiest way I have found to peel tomatoes is to set them in boiling water for a minute or two and then take them out, letting them cool enough to handle and slip the skins right off. Cut out the stem and any undesirable spots and throw the tomatoes right into the Dutch oven (remember the Dutch oven?).

Here’s what I think of as the fun part. By this time the tomatoes should be cool enough to squish them up with your hands. Keep squishing until the tomatoes look like chunky tomato juice. Next I add the lemon juice and bring the tomatoes to a boil before adding the sugar After adding the sugar, I boil the whole hot mess until the sugar is melted into the tomatoes. Simmer what is now jam over medium heat for 1-2 hours or until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.

When the jam is done, pour it into your waiting jars and process them in a canning bath for 25 minutes.

Tomato Jam on the left.