Simple Homemade Ketchup Recipe: With Canning Guide
Discover the secret to creating delicious ketchup with our easy ketchup recipe from tomatoes using this step-by-step guide.
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Are you tired of the same old store-bought ketchup that lacks in flavor and freshness? Why not try making your own homemade ketchup that is not only easy to prepare but also bursting with delicious tangy flavors? Homemade ketchup allows you to customize the ingredients according to your taste preferences and ensures that you know exactly what goes into your condiment. In this article, we will guide you through a simple yet satisfying recipe for homemade ketchup that will elevate your meals and leave everyone asking for seconds. Get ready to ditch the commercial bottles and embark on a flavorful adventure in the world of homemade ketchup!
Homemade Ketchup From Tomatoes
This ketchup recipe from tomatoes goes hand in hand with my marinara recipe. Since you have to strain the tomatoes to remove the skins, seed, and meat of the tomato instead of waisting it you can easily turn it into marinara with this recipe. I made a huge batch using 25 pounds of tomatoes but if you don’t have that many or just want to make a small batch just simply cut the recipe. This old fashioned ketchup recipe is extremely simple. By adding a few spices to tomato juice you can have delicious easy homemade ketchup.
This recipe is completely customizable to you and your family so even if you don’t have fresh garden tomatoes you can use tomato paste, tomato sauce, or tomato juice to get the same results. You can add any other spices you want and substitute any ingredients. Some prefer to use brown sugar or maple syrup instead of cane sugar but any sweetener will work. That is the great thing about homemade ketchup it won’t include high fructose corn syrup and you can make it as healthy as you want. (You will have to adjust the recipe accordingly depending on which you use.) I know everyone says this about their recipes because they are biased but I promise this is the best homemade ketchup recipe. We prefer homemade ketchup over any store bought ketchup including Heinz ketchup!
Equipment
- 20 quart stock pot – A slow cooker will also work.
- Mason jars with lids and rings
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Water bath canner
- knife
- Blender or immersion blender – A food mill will also work.
- Fine mesh strainer
- Large bowl
- Jar lifter
- Magnetic lid wand
- Debubbler
- Funnel
- Ladle
- Whisk
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 25 lbs tomatoes
- 2 Medium onions chopped
- 3 Cups of Sugar
- 4 cups Vinegar (half white vinegar half apple cider vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ cup Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Celery seed
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ⅓ Cup ThermFlo
- ¼ tsp Citric acid
How to Make Ketchup With Fresh Tomatoes
Step 1: Prepare Your Tomatoes:
Wash the tomatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt. Using a knife remove the cores and roughly chop them. Add them to your stockpot.
Step 2: Simmer & Reduce:
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer while occasionally stirring it to prevent sticking on the bottom. Cook for 1-2 hours allowing the excess liquid to evaporate.
Step 3: Blend Tomatoes: Allow the tomatoes to cool about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes into the blender and blend on the low setting for 30 seconds to puree. Continue this process until all tomatoes have been blended. Add the blended tomatoes back into the stockpot.
Homemade Ketchup Ingredients
Step 4: Season Sauce: To the sauce add the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, celery seed, mustard powder, garlic powder, and chopped onion. Stir until the seasonings are thoroughly mixed. Allow to cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Strain Sauce: Place the strainer over a large bowl and begin straining the sauce. You will be separating the juice. Do NOT throw away the sauce/meat of the tomatoes reserve both the juice and the strained sauce. The strained juice is what we are going to be using to make the ketchup. Set the sauce aside in a separate bowl. The sauce can be used for so many things! I usually use the sauce to make homemade marinara. If you need a marinara recipe you can get my recipe here.
Step 6: Thicken Juice:
Add the juice back to your stockpot and you can either allow the tomato juice to continue to cook down even further. This can take several hours depending on the type of tomatoes you used. If you don’t want to take the time to cook the juice down to thicken you can add in ThermFlo. Over medium heat bring the juice to a boil and then simmer. Do NOT pour the ThermFlo directly into the hot juice. Instead remove about 1/3 cup of the tomato juice and allow it to cool to room temperature. While the bowl of juice is cooling turn the Once the juice is cooled add 1/3 cup of ThermFlo to the bowl of cooled juice. Whisk the ThermFlo until it is fully incorporated. Slowly Whisk the ThermFlo mixture into the stockpot of juice until the mixture thickens. This should take less than one minute.
Homemade Ketchup From Fresh Tomatoes Canning
Step 7: Fill Jars: Using a canning funnel, carefully ladle the hot ketchup into clean mason jars, leaving about an inch of headspace at the top. This will allow for proper sealing and expansion during processing. To each jar add ¼ tsp of citric acid if your using quarts or ⅛ if your using pints. You can also use bottled lemon juice if you do not have citric acid. (You will have to adjust the measurement for lemon juice.)
Step 8: Remove Air Bubbles: Using a debubbler remove any bubbles.
Step 9: Wipe Rim, Add Lids, and Rings: Using a clean kitchen rag and vinegar wipe the rims of each jar to remove any food or water that may be on the rims that could prevent the jars from sealing. Using a magnetic lid wand place your clean lids on each jar and add a ring to each jar.
Step 10: Process Jars: Place your filled jars into your water bath canner and process for 40 minutes for quarts or 35 minutes for pints once the water is at a rolling boil. Remove jars and place on a clean kitchen towel and let cool. Check each lid for a proper seal after 24 hours.
FAQ’s
Ketchup is made from tomatoes by cooking the tomatoes, blending them up, filtering the “meat” out of the tomatoes, and adding spices to the tomato juice.
Homemade ketchup with fresh tomatoes will last up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, frozen for up to 6 months, and if it is canned can last up to 1 year. It can last much longer if it is stored properly in a cool dark place.
If ThermFlo did not thicken the juice then more than likely the tomato juice was not hot enough. The tomato juice needs to be right at a boil but not quite boiling.
Personally I think this recipe for tomato ketchup is even better than Heinz! It is so simple with tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, spices, and ThermFlo (for thickening).
Equipment
- 20 quart stockpot
- Mason jars with lids and rings
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Blender or Immersion blender
- Fine mesh strainer
- Large bowl
- Jar lifter
- Magnetic lid wand
- Debubbler
- Funnel
- Ladle
- Whisk
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 25 lbs Tomatoes
- 2 Medium Onions (chopped)
- 3 Cups Sugar
- 4 Cups Vinegar (half white half apple cider)
- 1 tsp Pepper
- ¼ Cup Salt
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Celery seed
- ½ tsp Mustard powder
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- ⅓ Cup ThermFlo
- ¼ tsp Citric acid
Instructions
- Prepare Your Tomatoes: Wash the tomatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt. Using a knife remove the cores and roughly chop them. Add them to your stockpot.
- Simmer & Reduce: Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer while occasionally stirring it to prevent sticking on the bottom. Cook for 1-2 hours allowing the excess liquid to evaporate.
- Blend Tomatoes: Allow the tomatoes to cool about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes into the blender and blend on the low setting for 30 seconds to puree. Continue this process until all tomatoes have been blended. Add the blended tomatoes back into the stockpot.
- Season Sauce: To the sauce add the vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper, celery seed, mustard powder, garlic powder, and chopped onion. Stir until the seasonings are thoroughly mixed. Allow to cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Strain Sauce: Place the strainer over a large bowl and begin straining the sauce. You will be separating the juice. Do NOT throw away the sauce/meat of the tomatoes reserve both the juice and the strained sauce. The strained juice is what we are going to be using to make the ketchup. Set the sauce aside in a separate bowl. The sauce can be used for so many things! I usually use the sauce to make homemade marinara. If you need a marinara recipe you can get my recipe here.
- Thicken Juice: Add the juice back to your stockpot and you can either allow the tomato juice to continue to cook down even further. This can take several hours depending on the type of tomatoes you used. If you don't want to take the time to cook the juice down to thicken you can add in ThermFlo. Over medium heat bring the juice to a boil and then simmer. Do NOT pour the ThermFlo directly into the hot juice. Instead remove about 1/3 cup of the tomato juice and allow it to cool to room temperature. While the bowl of juice is cooling turn the Once the juice is cooled add 1/3 cup of ThermFlo to the bowl of cooled juice. Whisk the ThermFlo until it is fully incorporated. Slowly Whisk the ThermFlo mixture into the stockpot of juice until the mixture thickens. This should take less than one minute.
- Fill Jars: Using a canning funnel, carefully ladle the hot ketchup into clean mason jars, leaving about an inch of headspace at the top. This will allow for proper sealing and expansion during processing. To each jar add ¼ tsp of citric acid if your using quarts or ⅛ if your using pints. You can also use bottled lemon juice if you do not have citric acid. (You will have to adjust the measurement for lemon juice.)
- Remove Air Bubbles: Using a debubbler remove any bubbles.
- Wipe Rim, Add Lids, and Rings: Using a clean kitchen rag and vinegar wipe the rims of each jar to remove any food or water that may be on the rims that could prevent the jars from sealing. Using a magnetic lid wand place your clean lids on each jar and add a ring to each jar.
- Process Jars: Place your filled jars into your water bath canner and process for 40 minutes for quarts or 35 minutes for pints once the water is at a rolling boil. Remove jars and place on a clean kitchen towel and let cool. Check each lid for a proper seal after 24 hours.
Making homemade ketchup is a fun and rewarding experience that allows you to customize the flavor and quality of this beloved condiment. By using fresh ingredients and avoiding preservatives, artificial flavors, and excessive sugar, you can create a healthier and more delicious version of ketchup right in your own kitchen. Whether you prefer a tangy or sweet taste, experimenting with different spices and seasonings will result in a unique flavor profile that suits your palate perfectly. So why settle for store-bought ketchup when you can easily make a superior option at home? Give it a try, and discover the joy of creating your very own homemade ketchup!
If you try out this tomato ketchup recipe I would love for you to leave any feedback and a recipe rating.
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