Celebrate the Flavors of Arkansas {Tomato Basil Jam}
A couple of summers ago, my Papa fell shelling peas. I mean, what else are you supposed to do on a summer’s night when you are 90? (Now you know the Energizer Bunny™ is in my genes!) He had already planted a full garden for the summer and it was tomato time. I remember spending a couple of afternoons during those hot July summer days in his fields and thinking, “I understand now why he gets up so early to do this!”
But that summer was a productive one on the tomato vine. I learned and relearned a lot of lessons evaluating those plants and the crop they were producing. Our hearts were full and so was the floor of the carport. You see my Papa usually overplanted because he knew he was going to spend most of his summer giving those vegetables away.
My papa passed away at the end of last summer, and I heard several people say that for the first time in at least 2 decades they would have to actually purchase tomatoes of their own. I guess it seems fitting that my mom developed this recipe as a way to use up the “ugly” tomatoes in the bunch and give away some gifts in his honor.
I love this jam on sandwiches or with homemade quesadillas. And, the Texan in me prefers cilantro instead of the basil variation. But, play with the herbs in your terra cotta pots. You’re bound to have a favorite too!
As your bounty fills this summer, enjoy this treat, gather folks and your table and take some time to remember what you love about the season!
Notes
(from my great grandmother) Mama Jones’ trick for easy peeling tomatoes: Cut an “x” in the bottom of the tomato skin. Place tomatoes in a pan of hot boiling water for 1 minute. Immediately transfer to bowl of cold, icy water. Peeling should easily pull off.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds of fully ripe tomatoes (approximately 5 large tomatoes)
- 6 large fresh basil leaves (or ½ bunch cilantro)
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1-2 oz. package Sure Jell
- 2 ¾ cups sugar
Instructions
- Prepare jars, lids and rings for canning.
- Bring water in a water bath canner to a low boil. Place jars and rings in canner and leave until ready to fill. Place lids in water that has been heated to boiling, but do not boil the lids.
- Wash tomatoes thoroughly. Prepare tomatoes by peeling, removing stem ends, bad spots, cores and seeds.
- Place tomatoes in food processor (or you may chop by hand to control size).
- Remove stems from basil and add basil leaves to food processor. Pulse 3-5 times until tomatoes are coarsely chopped and basil is mixed throughout tomatoes.
- Place tomatoes in a medium stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup of sugar with the Sure Jell.
- Mix well and pour into tomatoes. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly.
- Stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar.
- Keep at a hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Set mixture off burner. Remove top foam with a metal spoon and discard.
- Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids and screw bands.
- Process filled jars in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling). Remove jars from canner; cool on wire racks.
- Check seals and label.
Hi Keisha, loved hearing about your Papa and how he would over grow so he could give tomatoes away. Wished that I had been one of his friends during that time! 🙂 Thanks for the jam recipe… now I just need tomatoes to grow!
Lyndi
Since last year yielded us only 10 jars of tomatoes from all our vines (horrible tomato weather last year!) I have read this post with great longing for too many tomatoes. Here’s hoping I can try this recipe, eventually! 🙂