Easy Homemade Ketchup

With making such a big move back to our family farm (4th generation land owners here), it came with an abundance of garden space and fruit trees or bushes. I was already into canning and food preservation because I grew up surrounded by it, so this is next level in food production and I cannot say that I’ve ever “packed” away or harvested so much produce!

Choosing a healthier lifestyle means making simple swaps for grocery store purchases, in an effort to know more about where our food is coming from, and to limit the preservatives.

Our girls LOVE ketchup. Like lick it off the french fries and not eat the fry, type of LOVE.

I haven’t done the Ketchup Math to see if it’s more cost friendly, but I did make a few simple swaps to make it more cost friendly for our family. I’ll include all options below!

Easy Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients
14oz Tomato Puree or Crushed Tomatoes (only ingredient: tomatoes, I use fresh, skinless tomatoes)
1/3 cup Maple Syrup (I swapped this for an Organic Cane Sugar Simple Syrup to make it more cost effective)
1/4 cup White Vinegar
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 – 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/8 – 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder (I use Garlic Granuales)
3/4 tsp Sea Salt (I use Pink Himalayan Salt, fine ground)
1 pinch All Spice (I make a homemade All Spice)

1. If you’re using crushed tomatoes and want a very smooth Ketchup, place all ingredients in a small blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Otherwise, proceed to step 2.
   side note: I only blend my tomatoes, and run them thru a sieve to remove the seeds, I also use fresh tomatoes, blanched with the skin/core removed
2. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan and stir until well combined, then turn the heat on medium-low. Stir gently until everything comes to a light simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low.
3. Let simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, or until slightly reduced and darkened in colour, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent sticking and burning.
4. Once reduced, use a teaspoon to remove a spoonful form the saucepan, let it cool on the counter. this is important for true flavour – Taste your Ketchup and adjust it as needed, adding more salt to taste or more vinegar (1 tbsp at a time) for more tang, more sweetener, or more onion powder for more savory notes. You can also add a bit of Clear Jel (Canning Safe Cornstarch, or Cornstarch to thicken it a bit)
5. Let cool and put in desired container. This will keep covered, in the refrigerator for 1 month, or frozen up to a few months. (I am going to attempt water bath canning this to bring longevity and shelf life)

I’m going to attempt Water Bath Canning this as I do add a bit of Clear Jel to thicken it a little more because I use fresh tomatoes with a higher water content, I find it is the best way to thicken it, or I’ll be boiling it away trying to cook it down and reduce it. Usually I make enough to fill a 1 litre jar (quart) and this stays in the fridge for a few months – it hasn’t grown mold or spoiled in any way – but PLEASE use your discretion on this matter.