Home-made Ketchup

Hi,
Ketchup, next to salsa is america's favorite condiment..spell it ketchup, catsup, or whatever. But read those ingredients: CORN SYRUP??? It's tomato flavored sugar water.
My grandmother would bottle her own homemade. I loved it, but we never got her recipe. Anyone bottle or use home made Ketchup? Got a recipe to share?
Another thought. Anyone use a quality commercial ketchup they can recommend for its quality ingredients?
Lee

I used to love Brooks ketchup, (and beans)when I was growing up in the Midwest, but I'm not sure it exists anymore. I don't see that brand out this a way. We have no NW catsup, as far as I know.

I'm hooked on Ketchapeno. This was created by Chicago chef David Schy. He served it alongside potatoes in his restaurant, Hat Dance- rip. I used to have to drive miles to find it, but now have it locally. Nothing like the spicy Heinz or Tabasco ketchups- this is the real deal! Great stuff! BTW, i do keep a bottle of Hunt's for emergencies.

This is my stepfather’s family recipe for ketchup and making it is an all day affair but it really is good and worth the effort.

KETCHUP

8 lb. ripe tomatoes, washed, cored and cut in quarters
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. whole cloves
2 (3 inch) sticks cinnamon, broken in pieces
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. whole allspice
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1 cup vinegar
2 tsp. salt

1) Put tomatoes, onions and peppers in large nonreactive kettle. Cook uncovered on high heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and cook 30 minutes more. Press mixture through strainer or food mill back into big pot.

2) Tie cloves, cinnamon, celery seed and allspice in cheesecloth. Add to tomato mixture, along with sugar, cayenne pepper and mustard. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is reduced by half its volume – 2 to 3 hours.

3) Add vinegar and salt. Continue cooking over low heat until consistency and taste suit you – about 2 hours. Remove spice bag and spoon the ketchup into hot clean jar, leaving a 1/2 inch headspace. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Store in a cool dark place. Once opened, store in refrigerator.

Note: for a less spicy ketchup, remove the spice bag at the end of step 2. Ketchup will be brownish in color from the spices but that’s OK.

Mary at the Hash House in Vegas makes a TREMENDOUS home made ketchup. I ship it home every time I'm there (sure can't fly with it.)

Cook 'em? Just seed and peel your tomatoes, put them in a blender or food processor with whatever you like, and turn it on. Allow the ketchup to sink, then skim off the watery stuff, but that goes in the stockpot instead of water. Then freeze rather than bottle it. Tomatoes don't freeze well if you just slice them or chop them, though.

Following recipe stolen from: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Whole-Foods-and-Cooking/1977-11-01/Give-These-Holiday-Gifts-From-Your-Own-Kitchen.aspx
TOMATO KETCHUP

This one is just a little different from the usual holiday homemade gifts of food ... but delightful (partly because you took the time to make it).

Cook 1/2 peck of tomatoes, 3 red peppers, and 2 minced onions together (without adding water) until they're soft and mushy. Then put the pulpy mass through a strainer or sieve and, for every 4 quarts of the strained mixture, add 2 tablespoons of salt, 1/4 cup of honey, and (in a cheesecloth bag) 2 teaspoons of dry mustard, 1-1/2 teaspoons of celery seed, 1 tablespoon of whole allspice, 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of cloves, and 1 tablespoon of paprika. Cook rapidly for about one hour, then add 2 cups of vinegar and continue cooking until the mixture is thick. Remove the bag of spices, pour the ketchup into hot, sterilized jars, seal the containers at once, and process them for 10 minutes in a boiling (212°F) water bath.

This is an interesting thread. I now anticipate summer when an abundance of tomatoes would make a little more economic sense.

I talked with Mamaw Smith when I had coffee with her at 5:00AM and she indicated that when she was young, they made tomato ketchup every year. What she indicated was that their recipe was not as complicated as ones mentioned above. I am sure that hers was not near as good but I was pleased that she recalled it. She did mention that they used homemade vinegar, salt and pure cane sugar.

They canned it like what has already been mentioned. She still cans tomato juice about every year.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I make a low carb, no sugar, smaller sized version of RubyRose's using canned tomato's (cheapest I can find) and adding Splenda before I bottle it. It doesn't have the bright red color commercial ketchup has but the flavor, even using sugar substitutes, is much better. I make mine spicy too. I tried using the slow cooker once but that was a flop as it stayed too thin (looking back, why didn't I see that coming). I may try that again on a weekend but leaving the cover off as I'd have no idea how long it might take.

check out the history and old recipe at:

www.civilwarinteractive.com/ketchup

Oops! i meant:

www.civilwarinteractive.com/ketchup.htm