Tomato Preserves was one of my three favorite jams (also Grape Conserve and Ginger Pear) when I was growing up. In fact, the whole family gobbled them up. I don't make them any more, for just two of us, and only very seldom see them for sale. I miss them.

They were/are also used as a chutney, but for us, they were just jam! The recipe is originally from my maternal grandmother, Florence McNally Bruske.

From this recipe you will get 12-15 pints of jam. You will also get 8-10 quarts of tomato juice as a by-product.

Tomato Preserves

1 bushel ripe tomatoes
approximately 12 lbs of sugar
2 lemons, do not peel. Chop quite fine.
6 sticks of cinnamon

1. Peel and quarter tomatoes.
2. Boil a few minutes, and drain off juice with a colander. Remove as much juice as possible, but retain as much pulp as possible. The juice can be canned.
3. Measure the pulp into a 12 quart kettle, add cup for cup of sugar, the whole cinnamon sticks, and the lemons.
4. Boil until thick, stirring constantly.

5. Put into jars, including cinnamon sticks, and seal.