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.)

- Add the tomatoes, onion and peppers to a pot.

- Mix in sugar and citrus juice.

- 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.

- Let it cool completely before refrigerating.

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:

Top view of Sweet Tomato Preserves in jar

Tomato Preserves with Serranos Recipe

Valentina K. Wein

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

5 from 4 votes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2 10

Course Condiments, Sauces, Dressings and Vinaigrettes

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 28 kcal

Ingredients

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

Instructions

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.)

NOTES

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.

NUTRITION

Calories: 28kcal

Keywords unique tomato recipes, sweet condiments

Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

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