28 ounces (about 5 cups) red cherry tomatoes, halved
2 vanilla beans
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

Halve the cherry tomatoes and place them in a large, nonreactive bowl. Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Reserve the pods. Place the sugar and vanilla bean seeds in a separate, smaller nonreactive bowl. Use your hands to rub the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar until all the large clumps of vanilla are broken up. Stir the sugar and vanilla mixture gently into the cherry tomatoes along with the bottled lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice is required in this recipe to make it safe for water-bath processing. Tuck the vanilla bean pods into the fruit sugar mixture so they are submerged, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Transfer the mixture to your preserving pot using a spatula to scrape any sugar that has settled to the bottom of the pan. It is normal for the tomatoes to have let out a lot of liquid. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring to help the sugar dissolve. Continue cooking the mixture on high until the jam passes
the plate test, about 15 minutes. Begin testing earlier it you see signs that the jam is almost done, and reduce the heat to medium-high if the jam shows signs of scorching, such as sticking and burning in spots. Remove from heat and discard the vanilla bean pods. Ladle into prepared half-pint jars, leaving 1/4″-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and wipe rims. Place
the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until they’re fingertip tight. Process in a water-bath canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude as needed. After 24 hours, check the seals. Label, date, and store cut of direct sunlight without the bands for up to a year.