Tomato and chilli jam

Besides from the more traditional jams like this strawberry & apple jam we also learned how to make a "vegetable" jam like this tomato  at the Summer preserves course.

This "vegetable" jam requires, that you have plenty of time, approx 2-3 hours, so it is not a fast think to make !!! Anyway, I see this "jam" as a great way to use any surplus tomatoes, which you can have from your garden.

While you spend the time making this "vegetable" jam, you can at the same time just as well make this rhubarb chutney rhubarb chutney, at this takes just as long time to make. And you can easily have two cooking pots simmering on your stove.

Tomato and chilli jam: - 4-5 glasses

• 1.14 kg ripe tomatoes
• 6 red chillies
• 9 cloves of garlic
• 45 g root ginger - without skin
• 60 ml Thai fish sauce
• 225 ml red wine vinegar
• 675 g sugar

1. Blend the chillies incl the seeds, garlic and ginger finely in a food processor.
2. Add into a large cooking pan.
3. Blend the tomatoes in a food processor.
4. Add in the tomatoes together with the fish sauce and vinegar. Simmer gently until the content is pulpy. Do not use use too much heat, as this is make the jam more brown/caramelic. This takes approx 1 hour to get the right pulpy/mashed texture. Stir regular.
5. Add in the sugar. The addition of the sugar gives a very water texture to the jam.
6. Continue to cook the jam, until the texture is thickened under gentle/low heat.This takes another 1 hour. Stir regular.
7. Pour into glasses.
8. Store for at least a month before opening.