Homemade Ketchup Recipe

Wow! This recipe came out great. I have two little kids and wanted to make a ketchup without high fructose corn syrup, and to use in our homemade BBQ and sloppy joe sauces. It tastes just like the bottled stuff. I skipped the white sugar & put in 1/3 c of honey instead, to make it even less processed. Canned crushed tomatoes made it easier to strain at the end, and the consistency is pretty good. I would skip the added water next time when using the honey. This is a keeper! I'm so excited that I found this recipe & it was so easy using the slow cooker.

For all the inquiries about canning this recipe, I called my local cooperative extension agency who checked with the state food specialist to see if this recipe could safely be canned. As written, this recipe is NOT acidic enough to can. BUT if you add 1 1/2 teaspoon of bottled lemon juice per 1/2 pint (8 oz) jar, it can be safely canned in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. I opted to just freeze mine since I was concerned that the lemon juice would change the taste. I used fresh Roma tomatoes. I blanched them, peeled them, removed some seeds and diced them. This recipe takes 16 cups of fresh diced tomatoes.

Great recipe. Spice ratios are perfect. To make this easier and save yourself some time (2-3 hrs instead of 12), use tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes (can skip the sieving step) omit the water, and use 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of ground cloves instead of whole cloves.

AWESOME is all I can say. I used 1 cup of vinegar instead of the 2/3 for a tangier flavor and I used a 6 qt pot instead of the pressure cooker on low heat just to where it will give a bubble or two, stirred occasionally for 10 hours, and it’s unbelievable.

I tried this because I ran out of ketchup and was not going back to the store. I used Contadina style crushed tomatoes and followed the recipe, except, I didn't add any water, and I used 2 Tbsp more vinegar and 1/8 tsp ground cloves. I didn't have time for the crock pot version so I brought it to a slow bubble over low heat and shut it off to cool. It was really good. The consistency was a little runny, but I think it would be even better cooked long and slow in the crockpot. I am thinking of trying applesauce in place of the sugar. I can't wait to try using different spices and maybe even 1/2 wine, 1/2 vinegar too. The directions mention cayenne pepper, but the ingredients didn't list, so I added 1/4 tsp. I didn't even need to blend this. I might try making a hotter version to go on baked beans or burgers. It makes 2 quarts .

Fabulous flavor in this recipe. I used fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled and seeded to avoid any bitterness, about 3-3 1/2 lbs. It was alot of work to do the seeding and peeling, but well worth it for how wonderful the taste turned out. Added 3/4 cup of water (instead of the specified 1/2 c), used apple cider vinegar since I didn't have the distilled white vinegar, and added a little lemon juice. Used Xylitol in place of the sugar (adding maybe a couple of tbsp extra since the Xylitol is not quite as sweet as sugar). While cayenne was not listed as an ingredient, it was mentioned in the directions, so I added 1/4 tsp. Placed all in my new Instant Pot, on the slow cooker setting, but after 9 hrs it still hadn't thickened much, so put it in a pot on the stove on low, and cooked it for another 1-1 1/2 hrs til It was reduced and got very thick. Fantastic taste!

Love it! Just like store bought... I used fresh tomatoes, puréed and seived. Added a little more sugar. Also I used a saucepan on a stove top on medium heat... doesn’t take sooooo many hours. Such a healthy option that don’t understand why in the video they keep saying that “you would be crazy to try it” ! Wonder if Iran reverse psychology.... because you must try it for sure!

I've been making this for about 3 yrs now. Usually with my own tomato sauce I make from what I grow every season. I've have made it with store bought but like my own tomato product better. I went with original recipe (using sugar sub) but thought it was too 'blah' for me so....of course I changed more to my taste by adding bay leaf, more clove, fresh grated garlic, about 1 tsp of Jamaican jerk seasoning, fresh ground coriander, etc., etc. I too use a combo of diff vinegar's as well as smoked paprika and a 2 inch ribbon of anchovy paste (from the tube) for more layers of flavor. I cook on stove top as and it makes reducing quicker. If your end result is a bit too acidic - add 1/2 tsp of baking soda (it will foam up initially.) As for a thickening agent; I bloom 1/2 T of beef gelatin and it actually gives this more body. I have potassium sorbate pellets (preservative) which I add 1/2 tsp along with 1/2 tsp vitamin C crystals. I've not encountered any issue on the canning front by adding those 2 ingredients and I only put the HOT ketchup in a HOT sterile canning jar and it seals itself. I do store the few pint jars in the fridge and it gets used up in 6 months or so. Other than on burgers or fries, I use for CJ's unsloppy joes and my own recipe for a Catalina style dressing or any recipe with a ketchup base. Well...call me nuts but I dig making my own condiments. Thanks for a great starting point that you can translate into your own masterpiece. Yum!

This recipe tastes just like the big brands, only better! I don't see me ever having to buy ketchup ever again. I used one can of tomato sauce and one can of tomato puree instead of crushed so I didn't have to blend it or run it thru a sieve. I think it has the same consistency and it eliminated two steps. I let it cook for around 14 hours, just to be sure that it was thick enough. Also, I used around 1/4 -1/2 tsp of ground cloves as I did not have whole cloves. I adjusted the amount until it tasted like the store-bought ketchup.

Absolutely delicious! I used fresh Roma tomatoes from the garden (24) peeled & left seeds in & added 1 grated not diced medium onion & after immersion blending the thickness & texture was perfect so didn't bother straining. Flavor is amazing!! Well worth trying this recipe!

The recipe has great bones... I used about 56 ounces of pureed fresh San Marzano tomatoes. I also made this on the stove top... my only other change was I used ground cloves. Since I do not eat ketchup, I made my husband taste it, from start to finish. He even said he would eat the initial warmed tomato 'soup'. It was that good, according to him... I did reluctantly try the end product, and it wasn't bad. This made 3 cups of ketchup, and I canned it, in three 8 ounce jars, and water bathed it. I will be making this again.

It was so much easier to make in a large pot on the stove. I used well blended garden tomatoes, which I strained for seeds and any remaining skins. Pureed tomatoes do not burn on max heat. I made a large 4 times the recipe batch, with 2 gallons of puree, and it boiled down quickly. I didn't exactly time it, but within an hour it was down to 5 quarts. I reduced the heat to medium at that point and stirred occasionally so it would not burn. I omitted the water (intended for rinsing the cans) and the cayenne pepper, and I changed the sugar to 1 2/8 tsp of CC Nature concentrated stevia powder. I added the stevia right at the end to retain more of its sweetness. I thought it was a bit too sweet, but my husband approved it wholeheartedly. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will make it many more times. Additionally, I have been making tomato soup with low acid heirloom tomatoes and canning it for at least 30 years without a water bath. I often make 100 or more quarts per year. It always stores very well on my basement shelves. It has a lot less acid then this recipe, and I think I have had only 1 or 2 jars open up on their own in all these years. We have never become sick from tomato soup not being processed properly.

Excellent, easy recipe! Perfect flavor. I may never buy ketchup again!

Totes delish

How long is the ketchup good for after it's made if it sits in the refrigerator

I just made this & it turned out great. I didn’t have any mustard powder, so I used turmeric instead. After 10 hours in the crockpot method, it still wasn’t thick enough. I refrigerated it & the next morning, cooked it for four more hours. It still wasn’t thick enough, so I made a slurry of arrow root and water. I just did a tablespoonful & then boiled it for 2 minutes. I then put it back on the crockpot for two more hours. After that, it was the consistency of Heinz ketchup. It really wasn’t that labor-intensive. Nearly all the work was done by the crockpot. I had enough left over to freeze for another time. I think it’s well worth making again. It has much more flavor than Heinz. I had my husband do a taste test and he liked it much better than the commercial stuff. This is definitely going to be a keeper for me.

I was disappointed with this recipe because it is really tasty but I’m not allowed to eat it. I didn’t read the ingredients on my tomato cans and they contain citric acid which causes me digestive problems. It smells gorgeous and I tried a tiny bit and it’s really successful much nicer than the shop bought stuff. My son is pleased as he can eat all of it. We added a bit more garlic, celery and Cajun powder. We didn’t sieve it. I put it through my kitchen aid blender and didn’t feel it needed straining. It’s a nice consistency.

Everyone at the table loved it.

I used rotell tomatoes and chilies and apple cider vinegar love it

I made this exactly as the recipe directs except for the salt, including no salt crushed tomatoes. I let it cook on high for 10 hours. It turned out fantastic!!