Tomato-Basil Jam

"Slather this garden spread on warm focaccia bread for a hearty appetizer or great accompaniment to a salad or bowl of soup"

• 2 1/2 pounds (5 large) fully ripe tomatoes
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh snipped basil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 package ( 1 3/4 or 2 ounces) powdered fruit pectin for lower sugar recipes)
• 2 3/4 cups sugar

1. Wash tomatoes.
2. Remove peels, stem ends, cores and seeds.
3. Finely chop tomatoes. Measure 3 1/2 cups.
4. Place chopped tomatoes in a 6-8 quart dutch oven or kettle.
5. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for ten minutes.
6. Measure 3 1/3 cups; return to dutch oven.
7. Add lemon juice and basil.
8. Combine 1/4 cup sugar with the pectin; stir into tomato mixture.
9. Heat to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.
10. Stir in the 2 3/4 cups sugar.
11. Return mixture to a full rolling boil.
12. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.
13. Remove from heat.
14. Quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.
15. Immediately ladle jam into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.
16. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids.
17. Process in bwb for 5 minutes (start timing when water begins to boil).
18. Remove jars from canner; cool on racks.

Makes 5 half pints ( 70 one tablespoon servings).

Nutrition per serving. 39 calories. 0 g total fat (0 gram saturated fat) 0 mg cholesterol 4 mg sodium 10 g carbohydrates 0 gram fiber 0 g protein