Tomato Jam With Canned Tomatoes (And It’s Easy)!
by Greg Bellefontaine
on Aug 5, 2025 (updated Jan 7, 2026)
Tomato jam might sound fancy, but this version is made with canned tomatoes, meaning it skips the peeling, chopping, and seasonal stress. Tasty ingredients like ginger, garlic and brown sugar amp up the flavour of this sweet-savory spread.
This super simple tomato jam is perfect for fall and winter days when fresh produce is more…scarce. At least, that’s our reality here in Canada! I’ve been experimenting with all sorts of flavour combos ever since I first tasted tomato jam at a local restaurant – and I think I’ve finally cracked the code! In just 45 minutes, most of which is passive simmering, you’ve got a tomato jam recipe that’s as at home on toast as it is on a cheese board (a vegan one if you’re at our house).
I burned a batch so you don’t have to
I’ll be honest, I scorched the first batch of my tomato jam into a sticky, black mess (sorry to the pot I ruined). It turns out that tomato jam isn’t quite the same as marinara sauce cooking over the stove! I realized the addition of sugar was the culprit to my tragically burned tomato jam. I know this makes it sound like the recipe is difficult now, but trust me, it’s not!
This is what I learned:
- Canned, finely chopped tomatoes helped me dial it all in. They’re consistent in texture and moisture, so you’re not guessing like you might with fresh ones.
- Use low heat, and a wide pan or pot for even cooking.
- Stir often, especially during the last 10-15 minutes when the sugars really start to concentrate.
So easy, I used it all week long!
What I didn’t expect was just how versatile this tomato jam would be. After testing (and re-testing) a few batches, I finally nailed a version that’s easy enough to make on a Sunday morning and good enough to use all week long on everything. My first instinct is always to slather it on a piece of our favourite homemade artisan toast, but quickly found myself adding it to grilled cheese, and even topping these delicious homemade meatballs. It’s sweet, tangy, and savoury all at once. Here’s how it became a staple in my kitchen:
- Instant sandwich upgrade: The jam adds a punchy layer to grilled cheese, breakfast sandwiches, and even burgers. I started with just a little but it goes a long way!
- Cheese board magic: this jam elevates any spread. During testing, I brought out a jar for “quality control,” and ended up polishing off half of it with crackers and vegan pepperoni. Next on my list to try it on is these hot maple butter smashed potatoes.
- Unexpected flavour boost for everyday meals: Liv recently used it as a glaze for baked tofu. The sweet-savory balance just works – especially when the rest of dinner feels a little blah.
Why tomatoes over berries?
Glad you asked. Tomatoes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of jam, but they’re surprisingly perfect for it. I find them to be a great mix of naturally acidic, subtly sweet, and umami-rich. Through my own comparisons, tomatoes create a jam that’s bright and savoury; something fruit-based jams have a hard time with in my experience. They balance beautifully with sugar and a splash of vinegar, resulting in a spread that just makes sense.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe or just love the look of it and think someone else should try it, feel free to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @gregbellefontaine! It would also make my day if you left a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for browsing! 😊
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Tomato Jam With Canned Tomatoes (And It’s Easy)!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 45
- Yield: 2 cups
- Category: condiments
- Method: stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Tomato jam might sound fancy, but this version is made with canned tomatoes, meaning it skips the peeling, chopping, and seasonal stress. Tasty ingredients like ginger, garlic and brown sugar amp up the flavour of this sweet-savory spread.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 can (400g) diced or finely chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- juice from one lemon
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and ginger; cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the finely chopped tomatoes, then add sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, cinnamon, chili flakes, and salt. Stir well to combine.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes, or until the jam is thick and glossy.
- Remove from heat and serve over fresh homemade artisan bread.
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A few thoughts:
I made this yesterday for myself and as gifts for friends. It turned out well, if I do say so myself! Thank you for the recipe, Greg.
1. In step 3 you say to add cloves among the other ingredients, but that doesn’t seem to mean garlic cloves (which were already added in step 2). Do you mean the spice? How much? You don’t specify in the ingredients. I left it out entirely, but the jam was still well-balanced.
2. I sometimes find the canned tomatoes available to me are a bit insipid, so after I cooked the ginger and garlic with the onion, I added and sautéed a generous tablespoon of Italian tomato paste in a bare spot I made at the bottom of the pot, until it was slightly browned and the raw flavour cooked out. I didn’t make any adjustments to seasoning, but carried on with the recipe as written.
3. The suggested (optional) amount of chili flakes provides a good kick. That’s no problem for me and my friends, but if you don’t want a little burn in the back of your throat, I would recommend using half the suggested amount, or use up the older, less flavourful chili that’s sitting in the back of your spice cabinet.
4. My canned, diced tomatoes were rather chunky, so I used a potato masher partway through the cooking process to get a finer texture.
5. I doubled the recipe, but that meant I had to double the cooking time. I cooked it at medium until it had reduced by 1/3, and that seemed to provide the correct texture.
6. I canned all of the jam using the hot water process: look it up online if you’re not sure what that means. A double recipe made 4 500ml (1 pint) jars, so your original recipe would make 2 500ml (1 pint) jars. Next time I’m going to use smaller jars so I can spread it around to more people. It had been a while since I’d canned anything, but all 4 jars went ‘ping’ as they were cooling (i.e., they sealed properly), so I guess I did all right! The research I did leads me to believe the jam will be shelf stable for up to a year. Naturally, after it is opened, it should be refrigerated and used up in short order.
Hi Mark! Thanks for such an in-depth review and comment! Really enjoyed reading all your thoughts and tips. Noted on point 1 – that was an error! Has been edited now :). Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Thanks for the reply, Olivia. Correction — obviously, I can’t ‘math’ when I’m tired: I actually quadrupled the recipe, so the original makes roughly 1 500ml (1 pint) jar. Therefore, to make the original, I would use 1/4 tbsp tomato paste, but I doubt that will ever happen: my family and friends devoured the jam already and I need to make much more. Next time, I will reduce even further, by 1/2 or maybe more, for an even thicker consistency.
Can it be canned for use later, shelf life?
I have not tried to can it myself – I would recommend looking up the proper safe method for canning tomato jam and also what the shelf life would be. As I am not a canning expert I don’t want to give you any wrong advice! <3
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing your hard earned tips 😄 How long can this last in the fridge?
I can’t wait for you to make it too! One of my new favourites this year for sure 🙂 And it usually stays good in the fridge up to the 2-3 week mark in a sealed container!
Looks and smells incredible! Would be a great gift too!
yes! It’s a great gift idea!