Best Fresh Tomato Ketchup Recipes

HOMEMADE KETCHUP - MADE FROM FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Add all the ingredients to a large stockpot.
• Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat for 30-60 minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to puree. Continue to heat to reduce to desired consistency.
• Cool completely and transfer to an air-tight container.

HOMEMADE KETCHUP

Steps:

• Pour ground tomatoes into slow cooker. Swirl 1/4 cup water in each emptied can and pour into slow cooker. Add sugar, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, celery salt, mustard powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and whole clove; whisk to combine.
• Cook on high, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by half and very thick, 10 to 12 hours. Stir every hour or so.
• Smooth the texture of the ketchup using an immersion blender, about 20 seconds.
• Ladle the ketchup into a fine strainer and press mixture with the back of a ladle to strain out any skins and seeds.
• Transfer the strained ketchup to a bowl. Cool completely before tasting to adjust salt, black pepper, or cayenne pepper.

FRESH TOMATO KETCHUP

Steps:

• Place the tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and garlic in a large pot.
• Bring to boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.
• Pass through the finest blade of a food mill to make a semi-smooth puree. Alternatively, puree in the blender until smooth and pass through a fine strainer. Place the puree back in the cleaned soup pot.
• Place the peppercorns, mustard seeds, allspice berries, cloves, celery seeds, ginger, cinnamon stick and bay leaves on a piece of cheesecloth and tie it up to form a bag.
• Add to the tomatoes, along with the brown sugar, paprika, mace, cider vinegar, salt and cayenne.
• Simmer slowly, stirring frequently, until the ketchup is very thick, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the cheesecloth bag and discard.
• Ketchup can be cooled and stored in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
• Alternatively, you can put ketchup in sterilized jars. To do so, first wash the jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse well. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 4 pint jars and lids and boil 1 minute. Remove with tongs and drain.
• While the ketchup is still hot, pour it into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headroom. Seal and place in boiling water bath for 12 minutes. Remove and cool.

KETCHUP - FROM FRESH GARDEN TOMATOES

Steps:

• Depending on size, halve or quarter your tomatoes. Sauce tomatoes (Roma) are ideal, but any will work. I used a combo of Roma, Beefsteak, and (mostly) Cherry.
• OPTIONAL: Smoke a tray's worth of the tomatoes. I cold smoked mine for a few hours over hickory. It gave it a subtle but delicious smoke flavor. Again, this is totally optional.
• Add the tomatoes, salt, garlic, sugar, and onions to a pot and boil for 30 minutes.
• Cool the mixture until you can send it safely through your food mill. I used the mixer attachment and it worked beautifully. If you don't have a food mill, you can peel and squeeze the tomatoes using the boiling water / ice bath method.
• Return the now de-seeded and de-skinned tomato sauce to the pot and back onto the stove.
• Continue to boil the sauce to reduce and thicken.
• Meanwhile, in another non-reactive pot; heat the apple cider vinegar with all the remaining spice additions. Heat until the spices have infused into the vinegar.
• Using a fine strainer to leave behind the whole spices, pour the vinegar into the tomato mix. If you don't have a strainer or tea-ball, you can wrap the spices in a cheesecloth satchel.
• Continue to reduce until you reach the desired ketchup texture. This can take 4-6 hours. I've heard of people using a crock pot for this process.
• Follow standard canning procedure if you want a shelf-stable product. Otherwise, cool and keep in the fridge.