Traditional Tomato Butter Recipe

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 11/22/21
Tomato jam

Kate Wheeler / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Yield: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
27 Calories
0g Fat
7g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 34mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This 2-ingredient tomato butter recipe is simple to prepare and makes good use of a bumper crop of tomatoes—ripe red or unripe green! It calls for only 2 ingredients: tomatoes and sugar. Spices (cinnamon, allspice, and cloves) and lemon zest are optional but they can mask the wonderful tomato flavor.

The tomato pulp can be reduced to a butter consistency by cooking on the stovetop, in the microwave, in a slow cooker, or in the oven.

This is a great project for the kids and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound tomatoes, red or green, washed, stemmed, and cut in half

  • 1/2 to 1 cup sugar, or to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place tomatoes in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tomatoes have completely broken down and are soft, stirring frequently so they don't burn.

  3. Force pulp through a sieve or food mill.

  4. Combine tomato purée with sugar and choose 1 of the following cooking methods.

Slow Cooker Method

  1. Place sweetened tomato pulp in a slow cooker with the lid partially off to let steam escape. Set at low and cook, stirring occasionally. Keep it cooking for 6 to 12 hours or overnight, or else until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

Microwave Method

  1. Place sweetened tomato pulp in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 20 minutes at a time, stirring frequently until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

Stovetop Method

  1. Place sweetened tomato pulp in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 hours or until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

Oven Method

  1. Heat oven to 250 F.

  2. Place sweetened tomato pulp in a heatproof casserole dish or roaster.

  3. Bake, stirring only occasionally, for 1 to 3 hours or until thick enough so the butter doesn't run off a spoon when turned upside down.

Processing After Cooking

  1. Place hot tomato butter in hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace.

  2. Cover with hot sterilized lids and rings. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

  3. Transfer to the counter and allow to cool before storing in a cool, dry, dark place.

Tip

  • If you don't process in a water bath, the tomato butter can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 weeks or frozen for up to 1 year.