Tomato Preserves

A schmear of this on a ham & cheese sandwich...mmmmmm! Now that's good eatin', I don't care who you are! Plan to make several different colored batches - red, black, yellow & orange. I suspect this is a good candidate for hot water bath canning, given how long it is cooked & the high acidity & sugar content.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 lbs cherry tomatoes, rinsed and stemmed (about 4 cups)
• 1 1⁄4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1⁄4 cup cider vinegar
• 1⁄2 lemon, including peel, rinsed and very thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons ginger, minced fresh
• 1  teaspoon cumin, ground
• 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1⁄8 teaspoon clove, ground
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan, combine tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, lemon, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 2 cups and has the consistency of thick jam, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.