Strawberry and Tomato Jam

What could be more summery than strawberries and tomatoes.  Both are sunshine fruits full of colour, juice and flavour.  They are the stuff of picnics, salads, BBQs and party food. No summer time event would be complete without their presence.

However one doesn’t usually think of them as a partnership. They are not first on the list for dancing partners really. One thinks of strawberries partnering cream, cheesecake, shortcake, ice-cream and the like. One thinks of tomatoes in relationship to basil, lettuce, onions, garlic and all manner of salad veggies and herbs. We automatically lump strawberries into the sweet camp and tomatoes into the savoury section.

In my strawberry and tomato jam I dare to be different and bring together two classic summer fruits in a dance of sweet and savoury perfection!

I’ve paired these two before in my Strawberry and Tomato salad and found them to be a happy couple, so thought why not bring them together in a preserve that can take them into the larder and thus into cooler months when their fabulous flavours are no longer at their best.

This strawberry and tomato jam makes the best of these summer sunshine fruits and keeps them in preserved perfection for those duller times when we need a lift of summer sunshine and a tingle to our taste buds.

To make your strawberry and tomato jam;

600g/1 lb 5 oz fresh ripe strawberries

300g/11 oz ripe cherry tomatoes

250g/9 oz caster sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Black pepper to taste

Cut a cross in the bases of the tomatoes and plunge them into boiling water for about 30 seconds and then into cold water to loosen their skins.  Use a small paring knife to peel off the skin.

Hull the strawberries by removing the leaves and stem. Chop the strawberries and tomatoes.

Put the fruit into a large bowl and stir in the sugar.  Cover the bowl and set aside overnight for the fruit to macerate.

Next day pour the fruit into a heavy based pan (see my jam making page for notes on suitable pots etc) and bring slowly to the boil.

Add the balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper.

Boil for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the setting point has been reached.

Carefully spoon into sterilised jars and pop on the lids.

You should have enough with this recipe to get two decent sized jars of jam.  Store in a cool dark place and once opened keep in the fridge and use within 3 weeks.

 

This jam is great on toast, crumpets, scones (both savoury and sweet varieties) and also for serving with cheese.

Enjoy the taste of summer sunshine with strawberry and tomato jam.

Karon x