Homemade Ketchup
This ketchup is made completely from scratch with fresh tomatoes for a flavor that is simply unrivaled!
Equipment
- Canning jars (can use smaller or larger jars per your preference)
Ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (5% acidity)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (5% acidity)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon celery seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon whole allspice berries
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick , broken into pieces
- 12 pounds fresh paste tomatoes (see blog post "Pro Tips" about using the correct tomatoes to avoid failure and frustration), quartered, seeded and stems removed
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (about 2 medium onions)
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Put the apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar and lemon juice in a saucepan with the cloves, celery seeds, allspice berries, peppercorns and cinnamon stick and bring it to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes (this can be done well in advance). Strain and discard the spices. Set aside until ready to use.
- Put the tomatoes in a large stock pot (10 quart) along with the chopped onions, paprika, garlic powder, onions powder and ground mustard.Mash the tomatoes down a bit with a potato masher to release some of the juices. Bring the tomatoes to a boil, reduce the heat, and boil gently, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by roughly 1/4, stirring occasionally.Pour in the spiced vinegar. Return the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and gently boil uncovered for another 45 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by another inch or so, or nearly half of what it was at the very beginning.
- Let the tomato mixture cool for just a few minutes so it's not scorching hot to work with. Then, working in batches, run the mixture through a food mill. Discard the seeds and tomato skins.You'll be left with a bowl of what looks like tomato juice and watery tomato bits. Don't panic that it doesn't remotely resemble ketchup at this point!
- Transfer the tomato mixture back to the pot and add the sugar and salt.Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and gently boil uncovered, stirring frequently until the mixture is reduced by half and is thick like ketchup. This will take at least 1-2 hours depending on the circumference of your pot and the heat level.Note: Do not try to speed up the process by increasing the heat or the tomato mixture will burn. Be sure to stir more frequently as the mixture thickens to prevent burning.The mixture is done when you have a thick tomato paste consistency with very little water separating from the tomatoes.
- Transfer the thickened tomato mixture to a blender and puree at high speed until it is smooth and creamy. This yields roughly 2 quarts (1.89 liters), or 8 cups, of ketchup. Store the ketchup in airtight glass jars in the fridge where it will keep for about a month. For long-term storage, this homemade ketchup is safe for water bath canning: To can it, sterilize your canning jars and wash the canning lids. Ladle the hot ketchup into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands. Process in the boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes for quart-sized or smaller jars. Carefully remove the jars and let them sit undisturbed for 24 hours. Remove the bands and store in a cool, dark place where the homemade ketchup will keep for at least a year.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.04gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.02gSodium: 112mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 358IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!