I don’t know why somebody would make a jam from green tomatoes unless a friend
(Rissi Mitev) grew so much tomatoes and you felt compelled to save them from rotting to waste. Green tomatoes jam was never my favorite, but it was my first jam to make and turned out great. The addition of the lemons make it interesting and special. Everybody loved it and I make it every year since.
3 lemons, thinly sliced and seeded
3 lbs green tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
3 c sugar
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
a pinch of salt
Bring the lemon slices to a boil on a pot with water. Drain.
Combine all the ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook at a bare simmer for about two hours until the tomatoes are golden and the syrup has thickened. My grandmother used to do a test – if a drop of the syrup on a plate keeps its shape and doesn’t spill around, the jam should be ready. Let it rest for about 15 minutes.
Pour the still hot jam in clean glass jars, close tightly and invert them on a surface until they are completely cool. This assures a longer preservation without the need to refrigerate – 4-5 months.