Every summer I’m absolutely entranced by all the colors of tomatoes and peppers that pop up at the markets. Here in Los Angeles, we’re lucky that nightshade season bleeds well into Autumn, so we can enjoy these beauties for some extra time during the year. This skillet cornbread with tomato pepper jam recipe is a celebration of summer flavors. The cornbread contains corn kernels for extra sweetness, and the tomato pepper jam is the perfect accompaniment. It’s a little spicy, a little savory, and a little sweet, and perfect for using up any extra tomatoes or peppers that you have lying around.
How to make the perfect cornbread
Cornbread is super simple to make, and goes really well with so many things. I like to make a cornbread that isn’t too sweet, but includes fresh corn for just a bit of sweetness. For me, one of the most important ingredients in cornbread is buttermilk. You can, of course, purchase buttermilk, but you can also make it yourself a couple of different ways. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own by adding a taking about a cup of regular milk, and adding a tablespoon of lemon juice. You can also use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes and it’s ready to use.
You can also make your own buttermilk by, well, making butter. The recipe for my Easy Homemade Butter with Chive Blossoms makes the perfect amount of buttermilk for this recipe. Cornbread is a great way to use up buttermilk if you like to make your own butter frequently.
The other important thing to do with cornbread is to pour the batter into a hot cast iron pan. This gives the cornbread a beautiful crust on the outside, without drying out the inside.
How to make Tomato Pepper Jam
Making this tomato pepper jam is really quite easy. Simply combine all the ingredients into a large, non-reactive pot and cook everything down until it reaches a jammy consistency. You’re welcome to use a blender or immersion blender if you would like a smoother texture, but this isn’t strictly necessary.
Feel free to experiment with different types of tomatoes and peppers to achieve different flavor profiles. If you like things spicy, add more hot peppers. You can also play around with the proportions of tomatoes to peppers if you would like one ingredient to be stronger than the other.
Tools you need for this recipe
For the cornbread, I recommend a 9″ cast iron skillet. For the tomato pepper jam, you should use a non-reactive heavy bottomed pot. Non-reactive means it won’t react with acidic ingredients, and includes stainless steel and enameled pots. You should not use anything that is made of copper, aluminum, or raw (non-enameled) cast iron.
If you prefer a smoother consistency to the jam, you are welcome to use a blender or immersion blender but that is optional.
How to store this cornbread with tomato pepper jam
Store the cornbread, wrapped well, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature and reheat, if desired, before enjoying.
Store the jam in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for several months. This recipe has not ben written for canning.
I hope you give Skillet Cornbread with Tomato Pepper Jam a try! Be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your bakes, and leave me a comment below! Your feedback helps other bakers who are giving this recipe a try, and I love hearing about your bakes!
