Tomato Bacon Jam is a sweet and savory spread made with fresh tomatoes, bacon, onions, sugar, spices, and red pepper flakes for a slight kick. It is a jam you could eat with a spoon! I also have Spicy Tomato Jam if you want to leave out the bacon and add even more heat to it.
Tomato Bacon Jam
Yes, this is a jam (or marmalade) and yes, it is made with bacon and tomatoes. Not all jams need to be super sweet and fruity to be delicious and versatile. The brown sugar gives the jam its sweetness, while the tomatoes bring in both sweet and savory flavors. And then the bacon gives it a salty crunch. I will give you ways to serve the tomato bacon jam below.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes like Roma are best for this tomato bacon jam recipe. You could use other kinds of tomatoes, but it will affect the final flavor. One thing to consider is the water content in the kind of tomatoes you use; that will affect the amount of jam made. This recipe made about 2 cups.
Bacon: I love thick-cut bacon, but you could use regular bacon if that is all you have on hand. Or, try the jam with maple bacon for added sweetness.
Red Pepper Flakes: I added 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes for a little bite to the jam. However, you could leave those out if preferred. Or, add more if you want more heat to each bite.
Sugar: Brown sugar brings plenty of sweetness to the jam. You could lessen the amount of sugar if you don’t want it quite as sweet. The consistency of the jam will be a little drier with less sugar, but still, be super tasty.
Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds some tang to the jam.
What Kind of Tomatoes is Best?
As I stated above, any plum tomatoes should be fine. Some examples of plum tomatoes are Roma, San Marzano, Amish Paste, Big Mama, or Supremo, just to name a few. In fact, you could use most red tomatoes in this recipe; just be sure to have two pounds of the tomatoes.
Can I Use Cherry Tomatoes?
If you are going to use smaller tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, there is no need to blanch them. Just be sure to wash them well, remove the stems, and pat them dry before using. Add the cherry tomatoes when you would add the diced tomatoes and mash them down with a spoon.
Can I Use Canned Tomatoes?
Definitely! Using canned tomatoes will give you the same great flavors in this jam, but without any blanching or peeling of tomatoes. It will save you time, but won’t affect the final result. If using canned tomatoes, you will need 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) of diced tomatoes, drained.
How to Serve Tomato Bacon Jam
Tomato Bacon Jam is more versatile than you may have thought it could be. Try it with some cream cheese on top of crackers. Or, spread some on a toasted baguette or buttermilk biscuit. But, don’t stop there. Add some to a cheeseburger, on a grilled cheese sandwich, or use it as a dip for pretzel bites or a slice of pizza!
How to Store Tomato Bacon Jam
Store the jam in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks. You could also freeze the jam for up to 3 months. Before storing, make sure the jam has cooled to room temperature.
Should Bacon Tomato Jam be Canned?
Nope. There is no safe way to can this jam, as bacon is an ingredient.
More Appetizers
Tomato Bacon Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Roma tomatoes*, about 10 tomatoes
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, about 10 slices, cut into pieces
- 1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Blanching Tomatoes
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. To a large bowl, add cold water and plenty of ice for an ice bath.
- Thoroughly wash your tomatoes. Remove the core from the tops of the tomatoes and use a very sharp knife to cut a shallow "x" at the bottom of each tomato.
- Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Then, immediately place them in the prepared ice water for about a minute.
- After the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a cutting board. Peel the skins using either your hands or a paring knife.
- Seed and dice the tomatoes. You will have about 3 cups of diced tomatoes.
Tomato Bacon Jam
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon pieces for 6-8 minutes, or until crispy. Once the bacon is crispy, remove from heat and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease. To the bacon grease, add the chopped onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until softened.
- Once the onion is cooked, add the crumbled bacon, tomatoes, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, salt, ground mustard, and apple cider vinegar.
- Mix together and bring to a gentle boil.
- Continue to boil for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens with very little liquid remaining.
- Remove from heat and serve warm or cold.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
I have made tomato bacon jam a lot n use this as a basic recipe. But I put my own spin on recipes. I have canned this many many times and have never had any problems, and yes with the bacon in it. Pressure canning is a must however. What a great way to use up the last of summer tomatoes whether they’re red or green!!!
I’ve made this recipe before and I’m making it again… I’m surprised at how many things I can put it on. I do a bagel sandwich with arugula eggs and bagel with a swipe of cream cheese and the tomato bacon jam delicious! I also make grown-up grilled cheese sandwiches and I love to put it with my brussels sprouts!
We love this jam!!! For the many that ask about canning, we make the recipe in bulk ***MINUS THE BACON***, can the jars and then as we open the jars and depending on what meals we’re making in the coming 2 weeks we either crisp up some bacon, stir it in and refrigerate for 2 weeks or just leave as-is as a tomato/onion jam. Both are wonderful!
I know that your post says there is no safe way of canning this jam, but why can’t you Pressure Can it for the time for bacon? Just wondering.
There are websites online that offer information on how to do that, but I cannot advise on it.
Love recipes that are adaptable…cooking is my favourite home passion when I get time on the weekends…
I had a Brand name Spicy Bacon Maple Jam. I wanted to make something different for hamburgers. You can put some in with the meat when preparing the hamburgers. I mixed it with some Mayo as well and spread on top of the burgers. It was delicious.
Can you put this mixture in a canning jar and preserve for how long
I do not recommend canning this. More information in the post.
I made this one time and am about to make it again. It was gone before I knew it! So tasty and amazing with toasted bread or crackers. Worth the effort!!
We made this exactly as the recipe said. It’s absolutely delicious! Definitely a must try.
How do you store and for how long?
This is what is says in the blog post:
How to Store Tomato Bacon Jam
Store the jam in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks. You could also freeze the jam for up to 3 months. Before storing, make sure the jam has cooled to room temperature.
Should Bacon Tomato Jam be Canned?
Nope. There is no safe way to can this jam, as bacon is an ingredient.
Quick ? Can I do a bath canning process so the jam keeps longer?
This is what it says in the post:
Should Bacon Tomato Jam be Canned?
Nope. There is no safe way to can this jam, as bacon is an ingredient.
Hello Amanda,
1st, new to your site, but first couple recipes I’ve tried 👍👍👍
I VERY seldom comment on things and I also know this comment won’t make it
on-line, but wanted to just say.
Thank you for all the hard work/time/effort and dedication you put into posting these recipes. I for one, truly appreciate it.
I just truly wish that people would put in as much time when reading the recipes and directions. Maybe the Q&A queue would be slimmed down. Or, maybe it’s just me…anyway
Thanks for your recipes and time.
Have a great week!
Saw a note about using canned tomatoes. If you use canned do you drain them first?
I bet that you do. You will want some moisture in them so don’t drain them completely dry.
Now this is just my opinion!💕
I read in her other tomato jam recipe to drain the canned tomatoes. So I would.
I’d like to know that also, I wouldn’t think that you would drain them. Also, do you add everything back into all the bacon grease left in the pan?
This is what it says in the post:
Can I Use Canned Tomatoes?
Definitely! Using canned tomatoes will give you the same great flavors in this jam, but without any blanching or peeling of tomatoes. It will save you time, but won’t affect the final result. If using canned tomatoes, you will need 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) of diced tomatoes, drained. <--- Drained.
Can this jam be canned with a water bath for a shelf life.
This is what is says in the post:
“Should Bacon Tomato Jam be Canned?
Nope. There is NO safe way to can this jam, as bacon is an ingredient.”
Can you use regular garden tomatoes?
This is what is says in the post above the recipe:
“What Kind of Tomatoes is Best?
As I stated above, any plum tomatoes should be fine. Some examples of plum tomatoes are Roma, San Marzano, Amish Paste, Big Mama, or Supremo, just to name a few. In fact, you could use most red tomatoes in this recipe; just be sure to have two pounds of the tomatoes.
Can I Use Cherry Tomatoes?
If you are going to use smaller tomatoes like cherry tomatoes, there is no need to blanch them. Just be sure to wash them well, remove the stems, and pat them dry before using. Add the cherry tomatoes when you would add the diced tomatoes and mash them down with a spoon.”