BLT with Tomato Jam (When Fresh Tomatoes Are Out of Season)

Quick Summary: Quick Summary: When heirloom tomatoes are out of season, tomato jam makes a surprisingly delicious substitute in a BLT. The jam adds sweetness and depth that pairs perfectly with crispy bacon and peppery arugula on toasted brioche. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 5 min | Serves: 2

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Jump to: Why Use Jam? | How to Make It? | More Ways to Use Tomato Jam | FAQ

At HeathGlen Organic Farm, heirloom tomatoes are one of my main crops, but the season is short. From August through early October, I have more tomatoes than I can use. The rest of the year, I rely on what I’ve preserved.

Tomato jam, especially our smoky version made with home-smoked jalapeños, turns a winter BLT into something worth craving. The jam adds sweetness and a little heat that fresh tomatoes can’t match.

Why Use Tomato Jam in a BLT?

Fresh heirloom tomatoes have a fleeting season, and grocery store tomatoes in winter rarely deliver the same flavor.

Tomato jam concentrates that summer taste into a spreadable form, adding sweetness and umami that holds up against salty bacon.

The texture is different, but the satisfaction is the same. Look for jams with a smoky or spicy element to add complexity.

How to Make a BLT with Tomato Jam

The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short, toast brioche or egg bread, spread one slice with mayonnaise and the other with tomato jam, layer crispy bacon and fresh arugula, and press together while the toast is still warm.

More Ways to Use Tomato Jam

Tomato jam works anywhere you want a sweet-savory spread.

Try it on grilled cheese, spooned over seared scallops with polenta, or as a glaze for roasted pork.

It also makes an excellent base for a cheese board alongside sharp cheddar or aged gouda.

This kind of jam isn’t the easiest thing to find in the grocery store, so be sure and save some of your tomatoes this summer to turn into jam for the winter.

Here are a few favorites:

FAQ

Check out this collection of popular tomato recipes for a range of tomato recipes, from fresh salsas to slow cooked stews, to tomato martinis.

BLT with Tomato Jam

When tomatoes are out of season, this riff on a classic BLT substituting tomato jam is great!

4.80 from 5 votes

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Servings 2

Author Dorothy Stainbrook

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 4 slices egg bread or brioche (or your favorite bread)
• 2-3 slices thick bacon
• 1-2 Tbsp tomato jam
• 4 large leaves fresh arugula
• 1 tsp mayonnaise

Instructions

 

• Get all your ingredients out so you can make the sandwich while the toast is still warm (mise en place). Turn on your oven broiler.
• Generally you cook the bacon in a cast iron skillet over the stove top, turning often, until it is as crispy as you like it. I wanted to get the bacon to stay flat for the sandwich, so I cooked it in my Cuisinart Griddler, which has a top and bottom griddle plate similar to a panini-maker. Drain the bacon on paper towels.
  2-3 slices thick bacon
• Cut the crusts off of the bread and place the bread on a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet under the broiler for a couple of minutes until it is light brown toast. Turn and toast the other side.
  4 slices egg bread or brioche
• Assemble the sandwich. Place a bit of mayonnaise on one side of the toast and the tomato jam on the other piece of toast. Top the mayonnaise with arugula and then the bacon.

  Place the other piece of toast (tomato spread side down) on the bacon toast and you have an awesome out-of-season BLT.
  1-2 Tbsp tomato jam, 1 tsp mayonnaise, 4 large leaves fresh arugula

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