Homemade Ketchup

I made homemade ketchup today! I didn't realize how many spices go into ketchup. They aren't all pictured here because I used up the anaheim chili and the last of my chili flakes. I also somehow misplaced my allspice and celery seed. I wonder if I absentmindedly stuck it in the freezer?? More than likely the girls carted them off when I wasn't looking. We went to the store this morning and I let them hold the spices while we shopped. I think they thought they were theirs to play with.

I got the ketchup recipe from www.kissmyspatula.com. You start with 2 lbs of tomatoes and end up with about two cups of ketchup. It's sweet, tangy and a bit spicy!
-Amanda

Homemade Ketchup
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
1 stick cinnamon
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp whole allspice
2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 tbsp brown sugar (since I used my homemade brown sugar, it was extra sweet, next time I'll use less!)
1 onion, chopped
1 anaheim chile, chopped
1 clove garlic

   1. Wrap cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, celery seeds, red pepper flakes, and allspice in a layer of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle and put into a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat along with tomatoes, salt, vinegar, sugar, onion, and chile; smash and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until onions and chiles are very soft, 40 minutes.
   2. Remove spice bundle; purée sauce in a blender until smooth. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer into a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 30 minutes. Add more salt, sugar, or vinegar, if you like.
   3. Transfer ketchup to a glass jar. Set aside; let cool. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

UPDATE I need to rewrite this recipe and one day I will. Changes... instead of brown sugar I used backstrap molasses and instead of white vinegar I used Braggs Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. This last time, I blended really well with the stick blender and then I didn't strain the ketchup. It was a bit thicker but no one seemed to mind. Plus that keeps all the fiber of the vegetables in the ketchup, making it that much healthier!

After bottling, I added about 1/4 cup of whey and let sit on the counter for 1-2 days to lacto-ferment. Then refrigerate. Fermenting the ketchup will keep it safe to eat in the refrigerator for 6-8 months instead of a few weeks and it adds probiotics (like yogurt!) If you don't want to ferment it, freezing half or more of the recipe in ice cube trays and pulling out what you  need in smaller batches keeps it longer. After they freeze put them in a freezer zip bag. That way you can pull out as little or as much as you need.