Whenever I’m at the market during tomato season, I keep my eyes peeled for what the farmers call “ugly tomatoes.” You can buy them for a song because they’re bruised, misshapen, or ripe to the point of bursting, but that makes them perfect for canning or cooking. This sweet and savory tomato jam, which is equally at home on toast for breakfast or on a baguette with fresh mozzarella and baby greens for lunch, is one of my standards.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 pints

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 onion, chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

　　3 pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped

　　2/3 cup unpacked light brown sugar

　　1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

　　Zest and juice of 1 orange

　　2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

　　1 tablespoon fresh thyme

　　1 small chile pepper, cored and minced

　　2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

　　2 teaspoons sea salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　4 whole cloves

　　

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook and stir for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, orange zest and juice, ginger, thyme, chile pepper, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and cloves and stir to mix.

　　

Step 2

Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil, and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash the jam to a chunky-smooth consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

　　

Step 3

Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve, or for up to 1 month.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.