How to Make Ketchup

This tomato ketchup is wonderful because it's low calorie, low fat, low sugar and low carbohydrate. However, it is high in good taste.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 4 lbs. tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are best)
• 1 1/2 medium onions, diced
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 cup vinegar (plain or apple cider for a little more flavor)
• Large slotted spoon
• Strainer and bowl
• Food processor or blender

1. Boil a pot of water large enough to hold your tomatoes. While it's boiling, carefully lower the tomatoes in from a large spoon. Leave them in for a minute or so until you see the skins split.

2. Take them out with your spoon and put them into a strainer set on a bowl to cool. When cooled, take a small paring knife and gently peel the skins off. Cut the tomatoes and remove the seeds. You can just scoop them out gently with a teaspoon.

3. Chop the tomatoes coarsely over a bowl so none of the juices are lost. Put the tomatoes and onions into a heavy saucepan. Simmer about 10 minutes. Don't go over the time or too much liquid will be lost.

4. Pour the tomato mixture into your food processor or blender and puree. Return the puree to the saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients, stirring them in well. Simmer this really slowly, as this will give you the nice hearty, thick ketchup you want. It should cook for about 1/12 hours. Stir it often and when there's about 1/3 less of the volume in the pan, turn the heat off.

5. Let the ketchup cool down enough to handle and pour it into sterile bottles or jars. It will make 48 ounces of ketchup; eight times the amount of store bought ketchup for less than the cost of one bottle. Another plus is that commercial ketchup is usually around 87 percent sugar. This recipe will freeze for 9 months and it will stay in the fridge for 4 months.

Tips & Warnings

• Any tomatoes will do but Roma tomatoes are the best choice because they're a sauce tomato and they have a hearty flavor and make a thicker ketchup. They're also usually cheaper than other kinds.
• Don't attempt to make this without peeling the tomatoes, The skin, even when cooked, is touch and chewy and it will add bitterness to the ketchup.
• The seeds are especially bitter and, although they will puree, you won't like the acidic taste they leave behind, so take them all out.

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[robertamccart]

on 8/23/2009 It's NOT 1\12, it's one and one half. That would be one whole onion and a half of another.

[jazkabor]

on 6/25/2009 I just made this and it tastes like vinegar! I measured everything right. What was 1/12 suppose to be? I simmered for about 2 hours now and it still tastes REALLY bitter (like vinegar). I really hope that will change when it cools. I would say it is 1/3 now so I am turning the stove off and crossing my fingers! Has anyone actually made this?

Otherwise the 1/12, the directions are great and it made it really easy for me to make this.

[hermanoslatinos]

on 5/19/2009 I am starting atkins and I can't eat eggs w/out ketchup but like you said the commercial ones are all sugar. This was great! 5*s

[Alisiane]

on 10/5/2008 I searched for this topic because I wanted to see if it was something that could be done, and sure enough, you've laid out the skills for me...how cool!