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This sweet and spicy preserve lands somewhere between ketchup and jam. The fresh lime and the hit of chili pepper heat make it perfect on a burger, but you could also serve it with charcuterie, naan bread, toast, or a very self-confident cheese course. Tomatoes, one of the last summer bounties, have myriad preservation options, from sauces and salsas to their simplest form: whole or crushed tomatoes that can replace a winter of tins. But those traditional forms, though practical and satisfying, don’t inspire canning awe and, perhaps, envy as does a preserve called “Heinz on Crack.”
Heinz on Crack
Yield: Four
Makes: 500mL jars
This recipe uses a mix of red and green tomatoes for both colour and acidity. Adjust the sugar accordingly to taste, adding up to 1/4 cup more if you use all green tomatoes, or reducing by up to 1/4 cup for all red. Use up to 10 tbsp of lime juice if you use all red. The yield will depend on the juiciness and type of the tomatoes used and how much you reduce the ketchup.
Ingredients:
3 pounds roma tomatoes, finely chopped, 2 lbs green tomatoes, finely chopped, 3 3/4 cups cane sugar, 8-10 tbsp fresh lime juice, 2 tsp freshly grated ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1 tbsp salt, 1 - 2 tbsp chili powder (to taste) .
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened and beginning to stick to the pot and splatter when you stir (about 1 to 1 ½ hours). Sterilize jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes (sterilize an extra jar in case there’s excess jam). Remove pot from heat and remove jars from water. Soften lids in hot but not boiling water in pot for 5 minutes.
Fill jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles with non-metallic chopstick. Wipe rims with damp paper towel. Apply lids, and tighten rims to fingertip tight. Return jars to water, ensuring that there’s an inch of water above the top of the jars. Bring pot to boil. Boil 20 minutes. Remove from heat, remove jars from water, and let cool. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.
