Tomato Preserves Recipe with Serranos has a kick of heat and is an ideal way to use up your summer tomatoes from the garden -- but, you can make it all year long. It'll enhance anything you add it to.
Tomatoes scream summer -- especially if you can grab one off a vine in your garden (or your neighbor's garden). Next best will be at your local Farmers Market.
This tomato preserves recipe combines so many of my favorite things -- it's spicy, sweet, has a lovely soft texture, but with tiny bits of crunch (from the onion), and even though it's sans fat of any kind, I would call it rich.
It's always good to have scrumptious tomato recipes on hand for those times you might find yourself with an abundance of tomatoes.
Ingredients for Tomato Preserves
- fresh tomatoes - Color and feel are the best cues to ripeness. Ripe tomatoes should be slightly firm, but have a little give when gently squeezed, and they should have a deep red color (or whatever the color is intended to be).
- onion - Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
- serrano chile peppers - A good pepper should be firm, deeply colored and slightly shiny.
- granulated sugar
- lime juice
How to Make it
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- You can omit the peppers if you don't want any heat in the tomato preserves.
- I prefer yellow onions in this tomato preserves recipe. You can substitute however with red or white -- white onions will have a sharper flavor and red onions will be sweeter.
- In the middle of the summer, tomatoes should be super sweet, so less sugar is needed. If at the end of the cooking time, it's not sweet enough for you, you can add more sugar, and let it cook a bit longer.
Serving Suggestions
- It's amazing on toast with a spread of goat cheese beneath it.
- I love it served on a cheese board.
- How about dolloped on vanilla ice cream. (Yes, really!)
- And this tomato preserves recipe is the star of my Sweet and Spicy Tomato-Mango Goat Cheese Appetizer (pictured above). If you're entertaining at all during these last couple of weeks of summer, I'd suggest giving this a go.
How long will it keep?
- Wrapped tightly, this will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.
- To preserve it longer, here's is a guide to Sterilizing Jars for Preserves. (If you find yourself with tons of tomatoes, make as much of the preserves as you can at once.)
However you decide to use it, enjoy!
More tasty fruit condiments:
- Fig Preserves with Vanilla
- Spicy Persimmon Preserves
- Basil Apricot Preserves
- Kumquat Marmalade with Ginger
- Grapefruit Marmalade with Jalapeños
- Cherry Jam
Tomato Preserves with Serranos Recipe
Tomato Preserves with Serranos has a kick of heat and is ideal to use up your summer tomatoes from the garden -- but, you can make it all year long. It'll enhance anything you add it to!
Makes approximately 3 cups
- 3 pounds fresh tomatoes (washed and dried, stemmed and cut into large chunks)
- ½ cup yellow onion, (finely chopped)
- 2 approximately (3-inch) serrano chile peppers, (stems, seeds and membranes removed )
- ½ cup granulated sugar ((see notes))
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
-
Combine ingredients. Add the tomatoes, onion and peppers to a medium-sized sauce pot. Sprinkle with the sugar and drizzle with the lime juice. Mix well and turn the heat to high.
-
Cook. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn the heat to low and let it simmer gently until it's nicely thickened, about 2 hours.
-
Cool. Let the preserves cool completely before refrigerating. (Wrapped tightly, this will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks.)
In the middle of the summer, tomatoes should be super sweet, so less sugar is needed. If at the end of the cooking time, it's not sweet enough for you, you can add more sugar, and let it cook a bit longer.
If you find yourself with tons of tomatoes, make as much of the preserves as you can at once! Here is a guide to Sterilizing Jars for Preserves.
Calorie count is only an estimate.
Yolanda
OMG – I keep looking through your site and finding more recipes that I NEED to try. I'm adding this to the list. For this weekend I hope!!
valentina
Wow, thank you, Yolanda! I hope you love this, and whatever else you decide to try. 🙂 ~Valentina
Sylvie
Such a great way to use in-season tomatoes and keep them all year round! Cannot wait for my tomato plants to start producing so I can try this recipe 🙂
valentina
So awesome you grow your own tomatoes. Love that. Thanks for the comment, and enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kim Lange
Fresh tomato recipes are the best! Looks totally yummy and pinning for later!! Thanks!!
valentina
Thank you, Kim. 🙂 Have a great weekend! ~Valentina
Marissa
Loving the complex flavors in these tomato preserves, Valentina. Super versatile! And a fun way to enjoy summer tomatoes all year long!
valentina
🙂 Thank you, Marissa. Enjoy!
Irina
It's one of the best tomato recipes on hand! I am just wondering if I could make this Tomato Preserves less spicy? Any recommendations? Thank you!!!
valentina
Hi Irina, Yes, just omit the Serranos, or use less. Thanks! 🙂 ~Valentina