EFK Tested
Erickson Homemade Ketchup
This is our homemade ketchup—the version we actually make in our kitchen from fresh tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and warm spices. We have made it with organic cherry vine tomatoes and like the deeper flavor we get from reducing the tomatoes slowly. We prefer brown sugar in this recipe and keep the finished ketchup refrigerated.
- Yield
- About 2 1/2 cups
Let’s get cooking
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to check it off while you cook.
Directions
- Instructions
- Wash the tomatoes well and remove the stems.
- Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and blend with an immersion blender until broken down. A food processor can also be used.
- Press the blended tomatoes through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds and larger pieces of skin. In our test, 6 cups of cherry vine tomatoes yielded about 3 1/2 cups of strained tomato juice; your yield may vary depending on the tomatoes.
- Pour the strained tomatoes into a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have reduced and thickened.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, clove, onion powder, cinnamon, garlic powder, celery seeds, salt, and chili powder or cayenne.
- Continue cooking over medium to medium-low heat for another 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ketchup reaches the consistency you like. Remember that it will thicken a little more as it cools.
- Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
- Transfer to a clean airtight bottle or jar and refrigerate.
- Erickson Kitchen Notes
- For a slightly different sweetness, maple syrup can be substituted for the brown sugar, but we prefer the flavor of brown sugar in this recipe.
- Use chili powder for a mild background warmth or cayenne for a sharper heat.
- If starting with prepared tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes, skip the initial tomato-reduction step and begin by combining the paste with the remaining ingredients, adjusting the liquid and cooking time as needed.
- This is a fresh refrigerator ketchup, not a shelf-stable canned product. Keep it refrigerated in a clean airtight container and discard it if you notice mold, fermentation, off odors, or other signs of spoilage.
- Use It With
- Use this anywhere you would normally reach for bottled ketchup, including burgers, fries, meatloaf, breakfast potatoes, fry sauce, and as a base for other Erickson Family Kitchen sauces.
Equipment
Large bowl; immersion blender or food processor; fine-mesh sieve; large saucepan; clean airtight bottle or jar
Food safety & storage
This is a fresh refrigerator ketchup, not a shelf-stable canned product and not a canning recipe. Keep it refrigerated in a clean airtight container and discard it if you notice mold, fermentation, off odors, or other signs of spoilage.
Store leftovers in a clean glass container in the refrigerator.
View this recipe on the original EFK website ↗