Homemade Ketchup Using Fresh Tomatoes
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If you’ve ever wanted to make your own ketchup, this easy homemade ketchup using fresh tomatoes is the perfect place to start. Crafted from real tomatoes, this recipe gives you delicious homemade ketchup that’s way better than the store-bought variety.
With ripe tomatoes, a blend of spices, and just the right amount of sweetness from brown sugar, this homemade tomato ketchup recipe will soon become one of your favorite things to make when you have an abundance of garden tomatoes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for Canning: This small batch of ketchup can be stored in glass jars, making it a great recipe for preserving your summer harvest.
- Rich Flavor: Made with fresh tomatoes, this ketchup has a depth of flavor that store-bought ketchup can’t match.
- Simple Ingredients: You’ll only need basic ingredients like garlic, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar, all of which you likely already have in your pantry.
- No High Fructose Corn Syrup: Enjoy a sweet ketchup without the added corn syrup, perfect for those looking for a more natural option.
- Customizable: Adjust the spices, sweetness, and tang to create your own ketchup that suits your taste.
This easy ketchup recipe also makes a nice gift idea for friends. Just double or triple the recipe and place contents into cute jars with lids.
Ingredients for homemade ketchup
This recipe only requires a few ingredients.
- Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Shallot, diced
- Apple cider vinegar
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Brown sugar
- Allspice
Equipment and kitchen tools
- Large stockpot or large saucepan
- Masher or high powered blender
- Fine Mesh strainer
- Plastic or wooden spoon
- Glass jar or mason jar
How to make this easy ketchup recipe
Cook tomatoes on medium heat, uncovered, in a large stock pot for 10–15 minutes. Mash them to help them cook down.
Strain through a mesh strainer into a smaller pot for tomato sauce.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about an hour. Puree in a food processor or blender
Transfer to jars to cool.
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This recipe makes a small batch, but you can make a bigger batch and can then in pint jars for later.
Tips for the Best Results
- Choose the Right Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes or any variety of ripe tomatoes work best due to their lower water content, which leads to a thicker final result.
- Strain Thoroughly: Use a fine strainer or food mill to remove tomato skins and seeds for a smooth ketchup texture.
- Cook Slowly: Allow the ketchup to simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan. This slow cooking process develops the rich, deep flavor.
- Adjust to Taste: Feel free to tweak the amount of brown sugar or apple cider vinegar to get the balance just right for your taste buds.
- Use an Immersion Blender: For an ultra-smooth ketchup, blend the mixture directly in the pot with an immersion blender before transferring it to jars.
- Easy Squeeze: You can store the syrup in a plastic squeeze bottle for easy use.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vinegar: Swap apple cider vinegar for white vinegar if you prefer a tangier flavor. Adding a bit more sugar can balance out the acidity.
- Spices: Customize your ketchup with a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat, or add a dash of Worcestershire sauce for a smoky depth.
- Tomatoes: If you have cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes on hand, they can be used in place of larger tomatoes. Adjust the cooking time based on the water content.
- Sugar: Use white sugar instead of brown sugar for a more neutral sweetness or experiment with honey or maple syrup for a unique twist.
FAQs
Yes, you can adapt this recipe for a slow cooker by cooking the tomato mixture on low heat for 6–8 hours until it thickens. Be sure to stir occasionally and finish by blending and straining as directed.
Stored in an airtight container or glass jars, this ketchup will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Absolutely! This recipe is perfect for canning. Be sure to follow proper canning procedures to ensure a long shelf life.
This ketchup is a great dipping sauce for french fries, hot dogs, and burgers. It’s also fantastic in marinara sauce or as a base for homemade BBQ sauce.
If your ketchup is too tangy, it may be due to the type of vinegar used. You can balance the flavor by adding a bit more brown sugar or by reducing the vinegar content in your next batch.
Yes, you can substitute tomato paste for the tomato sauce mixture. You can also use pureed tomatoes, just skip the first 3 steps outlined above. Add the spices and cook for about one hour.
Yes, you can make spicy tomato ketchup by adding a pinch or two of cayenne pepper or a couple of splashes of hot sauce to this recipe. You can add some worcestershire sauce for a more tangy sauce.
More yummy homemade sauces
Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 shallot diced
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Cook tomatoes on medium heat uncovered in a large stock pot 10-15 mins Mash them to help them cook down.
- Strain through a mesh strainer into a smaller pot for a tomato sauce.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about an hour. Puree in a food processor or blender
- Transfer to jars to cool.
- Notes
- Ketchup will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge
- White vinegar can be used in lieu of apple cider vinegar, but it will have more of a tang, this can be balanced with added sugar.
Nutrition
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It looks so good! I like it not.. neon red. I never even considered that we could make it ourselves.