Homemade Tomato Ketchup for Canning

By dddavis59

Common Sense Homesteading

Ingredients

• Tomatoes – about 25 lbs paste tomatoes or 30 pounds mixed tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are fine)
• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup cane sugar (white or brown)
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

Core and quarter tomatoes and place them in a heavy bottom pot (or pots) or slow cooker on low/medium heat, stirring frequently.  Cook until soft and run through a food strainer, food mill or chinois to remove seeds and skins, or cook down until volume is roughly half of original volume and then run through food strainer, food mill or chinois.  As I mentioned, I usually make this while working on other things, so I do my straining when time allows.

Continue cooking tomato puree until volume is roughly 1/4 of original volume.  Add remaining ingredients, cook until onion and garlic are soft.  Puree with hand blender or food strainer, or leave lumpy – your choice.  Cook on low until desired consistency is reached.