Mock Raspberry Jam

My garden this year, was fairly unsuccessful.  We planted 4 tomato plants, and didn't realize until too late in the season, that they weren't getting enough sun. So we got tomatoes, but they weren't ripening. I knew the frost was coming last week, and needed to get the tomato's picked before they froze. Friday night I picked them and had about a gallon of good green tomatoes!  The only thing I had ever heard to do with green tomatoes was "fried green tomatoes".  Personally that didn't sound all that good to me, and I knew my kids weren't going to try them either. Well, lucky me, I tuned in to the garden radio show Saturday morning, and they were talking about none other than Green Tomatoes!  I really started getting excited when Joy mentioned a Mock Raspberry Jam made from green tomatoes.  It sounded really good, and the perfect thing to do with my tomatoes.

Mock Raspberry Jam Recipe from Joy at KNRS

5 cups green tomatoes
5 cups sugar
6oz package raspberry jello

Grind or blend the tomatoes. I used my blender to make a pretty green mush

Pour in a sauce pan, and add 5 cups sugar. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat to low and cook for 25 minutes, stirring periodically.

Add 6 oz Raspberry jello, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in jars, seal. Process in a water bath for 15 minutes.  I don't have a water bath, but I have a steam canner. I was worried about the timing, and the tomatoes being acidic, so I followed the directions for pureed tomatoes, and processed mine for 40 minutes.

You should get about 9 - 1/2 pints. I used pint jars, and got 4 1/2 jars.  Unfortunately only 2 of the 4 sealed. There was either jam still on the lip of the jar preventing the sealing, or my seals were bad. So those 2 1/2 unsealed jars are in the fridge being used daily, and they are so delicious! It tastes just like raspberry jam, and the tomato seeds give the same texture as real raspberry jam.