Homemade Ketchup – Concentrated Tomato Sauce
Mm mm, when it comes to condiments, nothing is better than homemade ketchup. Making your own ketchup is so EASY, and by skipping the pre-made option, you control what goes in it.
Homemade Ketchup is the perfect dip or DIY condiment recipe for fries, burgers, and more. No added sugar, so it might even count as a veggie!
Serve with Southwest Fajita Cheeseburgers and Air Fryer Fries for a delicious meal.
I am a big fan of homemade sauces like Mayonnaise and so I couldn’t resist sharing this recipe for homemade ketchup. It is absolutely mouthwatering.
- Easy: This homemade ketchup recipe is easy to make.
- Beloved: Your family will love it! My family won’t settle for less than this homemade version now.
- Better for you: No mystery syrups or preservatives – only fresh items from your pantry.
- Better Flavor: This satisfyingly viscous, tomatoey condiment is richer and more rustic in flavor than commercial brands. It is absolutely delicious.
What You Need to Make Ketchup
Don’t let the idea of homemade ketchup scare you, it is actually pretty eazy peazy to make, and starts with basic ingredients you likely already have on hand:
- Onions
- Garlic Cloves
- Celery
- Seasonings: Salt, Black Pepper, Smoked Paprika, Hot Paprika
- Brown Sugar
- Sherry Vinegar
- Tomatoes
Recommended Equipment
How to Make Homemade Ketchup
Making homemade ketchup takes a little patience, but the end results offer robust flavor, no preservatives and chemicals, and a far better condiment. So let’s take a look at the simple steps:
Step One: Saute!
Sauté in a pan, the Garlic, Onion and Celery, with the Salt and Pepper.
Cook the vegetables at medium heat for 10 minutes before adding the Smoked and Spicy Paprika, along with the Sugar and Sherry Vinegar.
Step Two: Prep Tomatoes
While cooking the vegetables, lightly boil the Tomatoes in a separate pot, and pass them through cold water, to remove the skin.
Once you separated the skin from the tomatoes, use the blender to make a puree.
Step Three: Combine and Cook Down
Once you have puréed the tomatoes, add it to the pan with the rest of the vegetables and seasonings. Cook for an hour and a half over low heat, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye so you do not scorch or burn the bottom.
Step Four: Blend and Reduce
Transfer everything from your pan to a blender and blend well. Then pour the preparation back to the pan to continue cooking.
Cook over medium/low heat and continue cooking to reduce to the desired texture (evaporating the liquid) for about 10-15 minutes. It might take longer depending on how watery your tomatoes are. Basically, continue cooking and reducing until the desired thickness is achieved, remember it will thicken some as it cools.
Step Five: Store and Enjoy!
Store in a Jar in the Refrigerator. The ketchup will lasts up to a month.
Why Make Homemade Ketchup?
Most store bought ketchup comes with a list of ingredients you may want to avoid, like a high fructose corn syrup, lots of added chemicals and preservatives, color enhancers, etc. When you make ketchup at home, you control what goes into it, as well as the flavor. So it is healthier, and tastier.
Is it Hard to Make Homemade Ketchup?
No it is not hard to make homemade ketchup, it just takes some patience. You want to allow it to simmer for a long time in order to bring out the bold tomato flavors. And you want to reduce it properly to get the right consistency.
What to eat with ketchup
There are a million things you can use this homemade ketchup with, here are a few of my favorites:
- Home Fries
- Sweet Potato Fries (Air Fryer + Oven)
- Air Fryer Fries
- Oven Baked Steak Fries
- Huli Huli Chicken (use the homemade ketchup in the sauce)
- Southwest Fajita Cheeseburgers
- Instant Pot Cheese Stuffed Hamburgers
Tips and Tricks
Making this recipe is Eazy Peazy, but here are a few tips and tricks to make it turn out perfectly every time:
- Controlling Spice: If you don’t want it spicy, you can change the spicy paprika, for a sweet one.
- Quality is Key: The quality of the ingredients is important, as always, especially the Tomato.
- Simmer Longer: The longer you simmer the ketchup, the better it will taste. The flavor will concentrate more.
- Adjust As Needed: If you don’t have Sherry Vinegar, you can use whichever you have on hand.
- Be Patient: When you add the Tomato, cook over low heat for at least 1 hour and a half with the lid on, be patient and make sure that it does not stick or burn.
- Don’t Skip Steps: It is essential to put the mixture back in the pan to evaporate even more liquid in order to achieve the thickness and consistency of ketchup. Remember that when it cools down it will thicken a little more.
- Store Smart: This is a condiment that works great for 3-4 weeks. It won’t go bad as long as you take good care of the ketchup and not leave it out of the fridge for long periods of time. If serving at a BBQ or event, spoon out some into a bowl, rather than leaving the whole jar out. That way you can discard what doesn’t get used, and preserve the rest for later.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is a recipe meant to be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks without a problem.
However, you can also store it in the freezer. It will last about 6 months in the freezer before it loses quality.
Make according to directions, cool, and put in a freezer safe container. Freeze.
WANT MORE EZPZ? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Equipment
- Pan
- Knife
- Tablespoon
- Cutting Board
- Jar
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 Onions Medium Size -> 450 gr
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Piece of Celery 50 gr
- 1 Tablespoon of Salt 15 gr
- 1/2 Tablespoon of Black Pepper 7 gr
- 1 Tablespoon of Smoked Paprika 12 gr
- 1 Tablespoon of Hot Paprika 12 gr
- 2 Tablespoon of Brown Sugar 30 gr
- 2 Tablespoon of Sherry Vinegar or any other (30 ml)
- 4.5 Pounds of Tomato 2 Kg
Instructions
- Sauté in a Pan, the Garlic, Onion and Celery, with the Salt and Pepper.
- Cook the vegetables at medium heat for 10 minutes before adding the Smoked and Spicy Paprika, along with the Sugar and Sherry Vinegar.
- While cooking the vegetables, lightly boil the Tomatoes in a separate pot, and pass them through cold water, to remove the skin.
- Once you separated the skin from the tomatoes, use the blender to make a puree, and add it to the pan with the rest of the vegetables. Cook for an hour and a half over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer all the preparation to blend well. Then pour the preparation back to the Pan.
- Reduce to the desired texture (evaporating the liquid) for about 10-15 minutes over medium / low heat.
- Store in a Jar in the Refrigerator. The ketchup will lasts up to a month.
Notes
If you don’t want it spicy, you can change the spicy paprika, for a sweet one.
If you don’t have Sherry Vinegar, you can use whichever you have on hand.
When you add the Tomato, cook over low heat for at least 1 hour and a half with the lid on, be patient and make sure that it does not stick or burn.
It is essential to put mixture again in the pan to evaporate more liquid as it is necessary to achieve the typical texture of Ketchup, remember that when it cools down it will thicken a little more.
Be careful to never leave the preparation out of the fridge for several hours. Taking good care of the ketchup, it will last at least a month.
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
Want to use this recipe in a meal plan?Try PrePear, my FREE Meal Planning App that allows you to save your recipes, plan meals, shop for groceries, and cook simply in one place. Join Here!Pin to your Condiments board on Pinterest:
Leave a Reply