This is one of those things that has been on my ‘to-make’ list forever, and now I’m on my second batch I’m wondering why on earth it took so long. If you grow your own tomatoes, or you come across a bargain box at the market, it really is a no brainer.
It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit sharp, and a little bit hot and it really gets your tastebuds going. Shop bought ketchup is great but the flavour appears one dimensional against this stuff.
In my first batch, I added half a chilli pepper and it tasted good. In this batch I added a whole one and I love it. Feel free to leave the chilli out altogether if you’re not keen, or ramp the heat up to whatever level you desire. I’m planning to try a real hot sauce variety with the next load of ripe tomatoes :)
You’ll want to remove the skin from your tomatoes before cooking and the easiest way to do this is to slash the skin once with a sharp knife then lower them into a pan of hot water. After a minute or two carefully lift them out with a slotted spoon and the skin with easily peel away.
Play around with the flavours you add and if you find something else that brings a great new element to your kethcup, please let me know in the comments below.
Janie x
- Splash of olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 kg fresh tomatoes skinned & most of the seeds & juice removed
- 120 ml red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 red chilli chopped
- Scrap of clean muslin
- 1 " piece of cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cloves
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- Soften the onion and garlic in the oil over a medium heat.
- Add in the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar salt and chilli. Tie up the remaining spices in a scrap of clean muslin & let simmer in the tomato mixture for around 20 minutes.
- Remove the spice bag and carefully scrape the mix into the blender. Whizz for a couple of minutes until it is perfectly smooth.
- Return to the pan and simmer until the ketchup is as thick as you like. Bear in mind that it will thicken a little bit more once it is cold so don't overdo it, and it will spit a fair bit so use a splatter guard if you have one.
- Pop in a clean bottle or jar and store in the fridge. Adorn all future bacon butty's with lashings of the stuff. YUM!
Lou Foti says
I had a flurry of homemade Tommie K making a couple of years ago, probably because I had about 78 tommie plants of fruit to get through! And it was really very good. Loving your chilli addition, might just do that next time!
Jane Sarchet says
Ha! That sounds so familiar Lou, two or maybe three years ago I counted 66 tomato plants in our poly tunnel – it was RIDICULOUS! And we still have bags of them in the freezers :D
Janie x
Laura says
I’m absolutely addicted to tomato ketchup! I know I shouldn’t be because it’s full of processed stuff and refined sugars buuuuuut I love it. Yours isn’t though so it’s ok if I eat it piled high on everything! I’m passing your recipe onto my mum because she wants to make ketchup from the garden harvests. I can’t wait to taste it =)
Jane Sarchet says
Fantastic! Let me know what you think of it Laura :)
Janie x
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
I meant to make and blog about this this ear. But I ran out of tomatoes. I kept frying and then scoffing them.
Jane Sarchet says
I’m like that when I walk past the Gardeners Delight variety. They’re my favourite & I’ve sneakily planted them right next to the poly tunnel door so I can just lean in and grab some :)
Janie x
Dom says
great recipe… love the added chill too… must make this!
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Dom :)
Janie x
Charlie says
Hi Jane: Hope you are well.
How’s the weather? Here in Atlantic Canada it is cold today, but they are saying it is supposed to be real warm tomorrow.
Could you tell me how many bottles of sauce this makes?
Have a Joy Day :~D
Jane Sarchet says
Hey Charlie! I fitted this batch in a medium sized glass mayo jar that measures about 6 inches tall and 3.5 inches across. Hope that helps!
Janie x
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I love the idea of home-made ketchup, but it’s not something I have ever been bothered to make (I’m way too lazy). The colour looks so much more natural and the flavours sound amazing – especially the fragrant spices that you have used. Fantastic!
Jane Sarchet says
Hey Kate :) If yo ever grow your own tomatoes and end up with a glut of them, that’s really the time to make your own (in the mean time, enjoy your Heinz!)
Janie x
Heidi Roberts says
Always good to have a few recipes to use up tomatoes at the end of the season in your recipe portfolio!
Jane Sarchet says
Absolutely!
Janie x
ManjiriK says
sounds so good ! I would definitely amp up the heat when I make this , now I need to go hunt for a bargain box of juicy red tomatoes ! ummmm
Jane Sarchet says
That’s my girl ;)
Janie x
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
That looks fantastic – and a burger is the perfect place to put it!
Jane Sarchet says
Indeed it is Sarah!
Janie x