As promised, here is my ketchup recipe. I tripled this recipe, which resulted in 16 half-pints. It took me approximately 6 hours to boil down the ketchup; it takes less time if you are doing a smaller batch.
1 stick cinnamon, broken
1 tsp. whole cloves
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery seed
1 cup vinegar
8 pounds tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sugar
1 tbs. salt
Place cinnamon stick, cloves, mustard seed and celery seed in a spice bag; add to vinegar. Bring vinegar and spices to a boil; remove from heat and let stand.
Peel, core, quarter, and seed tomatoes.* Combine tomatoes, onion and cayenne pepper. Simmer until soft. Puree using a food processor or food mill. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove spice bag from vinegar. Add vinegar and salt to tomato mixture. Simmer until desired consistency.
Freezer instructions: Cool. Ladle ketchup into can-or-freeze jars or plastic freezer boxes, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze.
Canning instructions: Ladle hot ketchup into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.
*If you have a food mill that removes skin and seeds, there is no need to peel and seed tomatoes.
5 comments:
Mmmm... sounds so yummy! I found out where that farmer's market is via the website, like you suggested, so I might go get me a whole bunch of tomatoes and try this out myself. :)
Have fun with your ketchup, Ashleigh!
I don't understand why you would spend SIX hours making ketchup when you can buy a bottle at the store in 5 minutes?!
Anonymous: You may be able to buy a bottle of ketchup in the store in 5 minutes, but the flavor of homemade is worth it! I admit, six hours might seem excessive, but I spent the time listening to godly music, talking to my grandma on the phone, and listening to the radio. I could have used the six hours to watch three movies, but I didn't. So I have profit from those six hours I spent: "gourmet" ketchup!
Tammy your recipe looks great! But for those of you who do not have the time, I will tell you how to cheat and still have a great bottle of ketchup. Go to Costco or Smart & Final (or other such "wholesale" food store) and purchase a gallon can of tomato paste. Add enough water and other liquids (apple cider vinegar is the best) to make it to the desired thickness. The spices can be simmered in the vinegar and water prior to adding to the tomato paste. (If your really brave you can grind them in a coffee grinder, but they do get stronger if you do this so be careful. The other thing you can use is powdered spices.) After experimenting a little bit you will arrive at the desired proportions. This can all be done in less then a half hour and most people will not know the difference. This is how most ketchup is made anyway only you get to choose the ingredients. You can also use honey instead of sugar, or other natural sweeteners (brown sugar, turbino raw sugar, frozen apple juice concentrate, etc.) This can be made so it is a healthy and cheap condiment!!!
Regards,
Tammy's Daddy
Post a Comment