Ingredients for tomato jam: a plate of chopped spring onions (with sage, rosemary, minced ginger and garlic), a bowl of chopped tomatoes, a bowl of sugar on a white-veined kitchen counter

Preserve Like an Aussie: Tomato Jam

Belinda D'Alessandro 29 December 2025Cooking Comments (0)

Reading Time: 3 minutes

I needed to use some tomatoes before they were ‘too ripe’, so I decided to make jam. Better than sauce and perfect to add a homemade touch to a ham sandwich!

Photograph of Belinda D'Alessandro. Belinda is wearing a red jacket over a red dress and a string of pearls. She is standing in front of windows with shutters — Belinda D’Alessandro

I’ve been sharing some recipes, like my ragù and my ANZAC biscuits. Now it’s time for a preserve! Also know as tomato jam!

While my Nonna taught me how to cook Italian and my Nanna taught me how to cook Australian, I learnt how to make jam myself (by trial and error at some points).

I’m going to share how I made my tomato jam! So, get ready to preserve like an Aussie and add some jammy magic to your next ham sandwich!

The Recipe

I had some tomatoes and spring onions in the fridge that were… making their way out the door, and I didn’t want to lose them.

So, I had to do SOMETHING with them. I didn’t have the right things for chutney… so jam it was!

Jam in Stages

Tomato jam ingredients in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove, ready to simmer

Tomato jam ingredients in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove, simmering

Tomato jam ingredients, with sugar on top, in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove, ready to simmer

Tomato jam simmering in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove

Tomato jam simmering in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove, with liquid reducing, almost ready to bottle

Tomato jam in a stainless steel pot on a gas stove, with liquid reduced, ready to bottle

The final result: Tomato jam in 2 glass jars sitting on a kitchen bench

Ingredients

3 spring onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons minced ginger
10 – 12 sage leaves, chopped
2 – 3 sticks rosemary (leaves pulled from stalks), chopped
Olive oil
1 kilogram tomatoes, chopped
¾ cup sugar
2 (Australian) tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Method

Fry spring onions, garlic, ginger, sage, and rosemary in olive oil on a medium-low heat until the onions are translucent.
While the onion mix is low frying, chop the tomatoes (with the skin on) into rough cubes.
Add them to the onion mix, season with salt and pepper, and heat until liquid appears.
Add sugar and apple cider vinegar, stir through, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmering level.
Simmer until the mixture reduces to jam consistency. (My mixture took 2.5 hours.)
While simmering, stir the mixture and scrape down the sides of the pot so it doesn’t crystalise and burn.
Bottle while hot.

What It’s Good For!

I left the skin on the tomatoes when I chopped them, rather than peeling them. The skin has pectin in it, which helped set the jam.

I tried on some of my Christmas leftovers (porchetta, stuffing on the side meatballs, and roast potatoes and carrots) and a ham and cheese sandwich today. DELICIOUS!

You could also have it on toast, with a drizzle of olive oil, for breakfast. And you could add fried eggs on top, or try it with an omlette.

Final thoughts

I hope you like my version of tomato jam and find inspiration to embrace preserving! Cooking is about more than just the ingredients and techniques: it’s about embracing a way of life centred around food. It’s about savouring every bite.

Thank you for joining me on this culinary adventure. I hope you enjoy the secrets of preserving as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. So, gather your ingredients, fire up the stove, and let your creativity lead the way.

Until next time, buon appetito!