Homemade Ketchup

FarmerChick

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
11,417
Reaction score
14
Points
248
TanksHill said:
hey sweetie ;) ;)


:lol: :lol:



yea that makes sense G....probably just load it up more. well real sugar beats fake made anything I guess....lol
 

rd200

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
119
Reaction score
1
Points
53
I made ketchup today and tastes really odd. I got the recipe from my sons' babysitter and it just doesnt taste very good. The recipe called for cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, paprika, and brown sugar. ALL i can taste is the ground cloves. I cant cover it up. Ive tried adding more paprika, that didnt work. I did however run out of brown sugar with only a 1/4 cup in the batch, so maybe i can cover it up that way. Iwas so disappointed cuz my son really really wanted me to make ketchup so i spent 2 days boiling it down and now it tastes nasty!! i sure hope i can save it.

By the way, a saucemaster is a GOD SEND!! I bought one this year on the advice of my sister, whom canns everything in sight, and i would highly recommend one. It only took me 1/3 of the time to do spaghetti sauce and tomatoe juice. ITs awesome. There is a berry screen and pumpkin screen too. -Rach
 

Emerald

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Aug 23, 2010
Messages
882
Reaction score
3
Points
84
Location
Michigan
did you put vinegar in there?
The recipe I use has you boil the vinegar down with all the spices and sugars and then after you get the tomatoes cooked down you put the flavored vinegar in till it tastes right. then you cook it down just a bit more till it is nice and thick.(Strain the whole spices out thru flour sack cloth or linen)
I always make it a bit sweeter as hot stuff can taste very sweet or very salty and when it cools not be as sweet or salty as when it was hot.
or chill a spoonful when you get it thick just to taste for correct seasoning.

I've also added several tablespoons of dehydrated minced onion to thicken and make hub's favorite type of ketchup. The boychild likes his ketchup with simmered chili peppers in it so it was like Tabasco ketchup.
it is one of those kinda recipes where you mixed and matched till you hit what you liked.
 

FarmerDenise

Out to pasture
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
4,163
Reaction score
4
Points
184
Location
Northern California
I made the recipe Calendula posted and we all love it!!! It called for whole cloves, put in a bag with the other whole spices.
It isn't supposed to be ready for week, but we decided to do a taste test. I am not sure if this will last a week. Good thing I doubled the recipe right away. Mom decided to find room in her suitcase, so she could take a jar with her :lol:

SO and mom both think I should make more right away. It wasn't that complicated and didn't take too long. Of course I blenderize all the vegies. I just toss in the whole tomatoes and the slightly chopped onion and peppers cut just small enough to fit into the opening of my blender cover and gradually increase the speed until everything is nicely pureed. I don't peel the tomatoes. If I have large tomatoes, I just cut them into small enough pieces, so my blender works.

I am canning them today, since I was too tired last night after dinner.
 

calendula

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Mar 1, 2011
Messages
544
Reaction score
7
Points
86
Location
WI - USDA Zone 4
Glad the recipe worked out for you FarmerDenise, we really like it too. :) I think my next condiment that I will try is going to be BBQ sauce, and I'll use our homemade ketchup for it of course.
 

Lesa

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
May 27, 2010
Messages
153
Reaction score
2
Points
59
Location
Upstate NY
I love making my own BBQ sauce! Of course, I don't have homemade ketchup to add to it. I would be happy to post my BBQ recipe if you don't have one...
 

calendula

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Mar 1, 2011
Messages
544
Reaction score
7
Points
86
Location
WI - USDA Zone 4
Lesa said:
I love making my own BBQ sauce! Of course, I don't have homemade ketchup to add to it. I would be happy to post my BBQ recipe if you don't have one...
Yes please! :ya
 

Lesa

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
May 27, 2010
Messages
153
Reaction score
2
Points
59
Location
Upstate NY
This is a very inexact recipe- I have made it with and without green peppers, etc. Having made it once, I knew I would never buy BBQ sauce again.

2 TBS melted butter
2 TBS chopped onions
1 TBS green peppers
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery salt
2 TBS brown sugar
2 TBS lemon juice

Combine all ingreds and mix well. This works great for chicken or ribs...It is a bit watery, if you are used to thicker- just don't use as much water. I Eput a cut up chicken in a bowl with this mixture, and either let it sit (if time permits) or just put it right on the grill. Really good!
 

~gd

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
1,812
Reaction score
3
Points
99
calendula said:
We got this ketchup recipe from a book called Homemade published by Reader's Digest. There's all kinds of recipes in it for food, pet food, cleaning supplies, etc... It's a pretty good book for us SS types. We just keep the ketchup in the canning jars and use a spoon to serve it, but you could transfer it to a squeeze bottle if you were so inclined.

Ingredients:

4 quarts (about 24) ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika


How to make it:

1. In a large, nonreactive saucepan or Dutch oven over moderate heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper, and cook until the vegetables are soft. Using a food mill or a sieve, press the vegetables through to make a puree. Return the vegetable puree to the saucepan.

2. Over high heat, cook the vegetable puree rapidly until it is thick and the volume is reduced by about half, about 1 hour.

3. Cut a 4-inch square of cheesecloth. Place the celery seed, mustard seed, allspice, and cinnamon stick in the center, gather up the corners to form a bag, and secure with kitchen string. Add the spice bag, brown sugar, and salt to the tomato mixture. Over low heat, cook the mixture gently for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in the cider vinegar and paprika. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick.

5. Spoon the ketchup into hot, sterilized pint jars, leaving a 1/2-inch space between the top of the ketchup and the rim of the jar. Wipe the rims, cover, and immerse the jars for 10 minutes in boiling water. Cool and test for airtight seals by gently pressing the center of the lid; if the depression in the center holds, the seal is good. If it does not, store in the refrigerator and use immediately.

6. Label, date, and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year; the ketchup will be ready to eat in 1 week. Once a jar has been opened, store the ketchup in the refrigerator.


If you have something like a sauce master , it makes the job much easier, because you wont have to mess with peeling, coring, and chopping the tomatoes.
Don't panic if it developes a dark ring around the top. Almost all do and that is the reason that commecial glass bottles have the neck label. either mix it back in when opened or skim it off if you really hate the appearance.
 

FarmerDenise

Out to pasture
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
4,163
Reaction score
4
Points
184
Location
Northern California
Thanks for the bbq recipe, as I also plan on making it next. Hopefuly later this week. I need to get my sweet peppers picked and frozen first. I started freezing my tomatoes, so I can make more stuff after the harves is pretty well done. We still have lots of work to do, before the rains hit.
 
Top