Ketchup is a family condiment staple. Who can imagine being a kid without ketchup? The problem is it can be chock-full of stuff we don’t really want our kids to eat like high fructose corn syrup, salt, potassium chloride, starches, and preservatives. So what’s the alternative? How about making your own ketchup? Here is a simple, homemade ketchup recipe and you control the ingredients – like using organic tomatoes and cutting down on the sugar. Making your own condiments is easier than you think- so you can enjoy them fresh and just the way you like them!
Homemade Ketchup Recipe excerpted, with permission, from The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook by Erin Coopey, Quarry Books, 2013. The cookbook is available on Amazon through my affiliate link.
Easy Ketchup Recipe
This recipe makes about 2 cups of homemade ketchup.
Home Ketchup Ingredients:
- 2¼ pounds plum tomatoes
- 1½ cups distilled white vinegar
- 2½ teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar (for a less-sweet ketchup, use ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon grated onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
How To Make Ketchup:
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and blanch until the skins break and the flesh becomes soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the tomatoes and press through a fine-mesh food mill or sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
2. Pour the sieved tomatoes into a medium-size saucepan. Add the vinegar and salt. Stir to combine. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil and then whisk in the sugar, onion, and spices.
3. Return to a low boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until the mixture has reduced to one-fourth the original amount and has thickened, about 1 hour. Some tomatoes are more watery than others, so additional cooking might be necessary to reduce moisture. Your ketchup should be the consistency of tomato purée, slightly thinner than bottled ketchup. It will thicken slightly when it cools.
4. Pour into a sterilized jar. Cover and refrigerate. Store your homemade ketchup covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
I hope you enjoy this easy to make, homemade ketchup recipe. There are only 4 steps! It is so good and sure to impress your friends and family.
Printable Recipe Card For Ketchup
Homemade Ketchup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2¼ pounds plum tomatoes
- 1½ cups distilled white vinegar
- 2½ teaspoons coarse sea salt or kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar (for a less-sweet ketchup, use ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon grated onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes and blanch until the skins break and the flesh becomes soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the tomatoes and press through a fine-mesh food mill or sieve to remove the skins and seeds.
- Pour the sieved tomatoes into a medium-size saucepan. Add the vinegar and salt. Stir to combine. Bring the tomato mixture to a boil and then whisk in the sugar, onion, and spices.
- Return to a low boil, stirring occasionally, and cook until the mixture has reduced to one-fourth the original amount and has thickened, about 1 hour. Some tomatoes are more watery than others, so additional cooking might be necessary to reduce moisture. Your ketchup should be the consistency of tomato purée, slightly thinner than bottled ketchup. It will thicken slightly when it cools.
- Pour into a sterilized jar. Cover and refrigerate. Store your homemade ketchup covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Ketchup Recipe
Serves: 32
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 33.01 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 0.08 g | 0% | |
| Saturated Fat 0.01 g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 0.0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 115.38 mg | 4.8% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 7.72 g | 2.3% | |
| Dietary Fiber 0.44 g | 0% | |
| Sugars 7.1 g | ||
| Protein 0.32 g | ||
| Vitamin A 1.49 % | Vitamin C 4.92 % | |
| Calcium 0.54 % | Iron 0.62 % | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Family Focus Blog
Guest post by Erin Coopey, the Glorified HomeChef. Her cookbook, The Kitchen Pantry Cookbook, was just published this month. It features everything that you’d find in your refrigerator or pantry but you make it yourself – condiments, salad dressings, nut butters and fruit spreads, quick pickles and relishes, stocks, and chips and dips. Most recipes can be made in under an hour and there’s no canning involved. The recipes are be appealing to families because they know exactly what they were feeding their children – eliminating food dyes, preservatives, gluten and high fructose corn syrup.
Conclusion
If store-bought ketchup is a staple in your house, this homemade ketchup recipe can boost your health and well-being. From lower sugar content to higher nutrient levels, making your own ketchup is a smart choice for your diet. You will love this cost-effective and nutritious alternative to ketchup loaded with preservatives and packaged in a plastic bottle. Elevate the flavor of all your favorite dishes and make your meals unforgettable with homemade ketchup.
So you do you think you will give this homemade ketchup recipe a try? Let us know how you like it on social media @familyfocusblog!
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Christy Garrett @ Uplifting Families says
Thank you for sharing this great recipe. My kids love ketchup and ranch dressing.
Mindy Coffey says
I go (NO JOKE) go through a 4 lb. bottle of ketchup every week LOL, maybe I should try this instead HA, thank you
Freida S says
This homemade ketchup recipe is really awesome! I hate buying ketchup at the market because i don’t know exactly what’s inside those thing. I don’t know how safe the preservatives on it, it’s getting harder to get carcinogenic free stuffs. I’m gonna try this ketchup recipe, This seems delicious! Thanks