Homemade Catsup
Homemade Catsup
When I get to working fast in the kitchen, I forget that often I should be taking pictures for posts for recipes. This is one of those occasions. I had a lot going on in my kitchen the day that I made this catsup, and I was finishing it up when I realized I should have been documenting the process. Consequently, I apologize, but I will tell you that this is an incredibly flavorful condiment. I will forever use it for our homemade catsup (or ketchup, as my spell check prefers!)
12 to 13 pounds of tomatoes (about 8 quarts)
10 medium sized onions
2 long red peppers
10 medium sized apples
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 TBS paprika
1 TBS whole allspice
1 TBS whole celery seed
1 TBS cloves
1 TBS mace
1 TBS black peppercorns
2 inches stick cinnamon
1 nutmeg
½ tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic
2 small bay leaves
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 TBS pickling salt
large stock pot
miniature grater for the nutmeg
sharp knife/cutting board
cheesecloth or muslin for a spice bag, string to tie bag
measuring cups/spoons
mesh strainer
water bath canner
mason jars/lids
funnel for ladleing sauce into jars
ladle
Wash tomatoes and cut into small pieces.
Slice onions.
Remove seeds and membranes of peppers.
Peel, core, and slice apples.
Tie in cheesecloth or muslin bag: allspice, celery seed, cloves, mace, and peppercorns.
Grate the nutmeg.
Chop the garlic.
Simmer tomatoes, onions, peppers, and apples in large stock pot until soft.
Strain through a mesh strainer and return to the pot.
Add the paprika, spice bag, cinnamon, nutmeg, dry mustard, garlic, and bay leaves.
Boil rapidly without scorching, stirring often, about 1½ hours or until thick and reduced to half.
(In the meantime, bring water in your water bath canner to a boil, and sterilize your jars and lids in the water, boiling for 20 minutes. Remove just prior to filling with the sauce so that the jars are hot when you fill them.)
Remove spice bag and cinnamon.
Add vinegar and salt.
Simmer and adjust salt to taste. Boil 10 minutes longer until thick.
Ladle into hot jars. Wipe the rims. Seal. Place in the water bath canner and boil for 20 minutes. Remove. When cool, check to make sure the lids have sealed properly before storing.
About 5 quarts
I would love to hear any feedback about this recipe. Did you make it? Did you enjoy it? Did you make any adjustments to it?
Hallee
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Thanks for the recipe! Does this taste at all like store-bought catsup/ketchup? My boys are die-hard Heinz fans ;) But they’re open to new things as long as they are as good or better than what they’re used to. I made some homemade ketchup from the Allrecipes site a few months ago (recipe used tomato paste rather than fresh tomatoes) but it was not good. Tasted nothing like ketchup. Just curious how yours compares to the regular stuff!
It tasted like ketchup to me. I don’t have an open bottle right now -already had some open in the fridge. But, my tasting it before we canned it was that it tasted just like ketchup.
Okay, I’m going to try this next week, along with a natural Ranch Dip recipe. I need something healthy my kids can dip stuff in! :-) We’re working on an elimination diet for some issues my boys have been having, and are cutting out all sugars, so do you think it would be okay without the brown sugar? I’m thinking the apples might be a sufficient source of sweet?
Any idea of how it stacks up against store bought for cost or health-wise?
I can’t really analyze the cost for you. Most of the produce came from my garden or apple tree. However, I can analyze nutrition:
.
On Meijer Organic Ketchup, the label reads:
per each 1TBS serving:
20 calories
210 mg sodium
4 g carbohydrate
0% any vitamins
4 g sugars
0 g protein
no other information
.
for my catsup:
per each 1 TBS serving:
50 calories
192 mg sodium
11.3 g carbohydrates
2.2 g dietary fiber
7.8 g sugars
1.2 g protein
16% of daily recommended Vitamin A
23% of daily recommended Vitamin C
2% of daily recommended Calcium
3% of daily recommended Iron
Very low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
High in dietary fiber
High in manganese
High in potassium