Homemade tomato-paste based ketchup

[soibcp]

I've always found the best way to make ketchup which has a similar consistency to Heinz Ketchup is to use tomato paste. I wanted to share my below recipe which I've tweaked many times and have found gives me the best results.

For the tomato paste which will yield 180gm:

- 3KG fresh ripe market tomatoes, chopped in quarters (can be blemished/not right size)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup olive oil

Place the chopped tomatoes in a large stock pot with the rest of the ingredients and cook for 25 minutes (or until soft). Transfer the softened tomatoes to a fine food mill and mill the tomatoes until all that is left is the seeds and skin (can be discarded or used in a bisque). Oil a baking pan with some olive oil and place the puree in the pan. Place the pan in a pre-heated 150C oven and cook for 5-6 hours. You will need to spread the tomatoes around with a spatula every 30 minutes to avoid sticking/burning. During the cooking time, the water will evaporate and the tomatoes will cook slowly. After the cooking time is complete, cool down the paste and place in a food processor. Process the paste until a smooth consistency is achieved. Below is a picture of the cooked paste:



For the actual ketchup:

- 180gm tomato paste
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine the above ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. Continue to simmer for a further 20 minutes. Add more vinegar, honey/syrup and other spices to achieved desired flavor. Allow the sauce to cool and process in a food processor until completely smooth. Alternatively, grated apple or caramelized onion can be added to achieve a different taste. For BBQ sauce, molasses and more sugar/honey/syrup can be added. Below is a picture of the finished product:



Let me know if you have any questions/suggestions. Enjoy with your favorite homemade sausage!

[rob01]

Thanks for this. I was looking for a recipe that gave a sweet tomato sauce like the big supermarket brands without just pouring sugar in a bowl and making it Red

[dps51]

i use this one i fund on the web it is nice


i found this on the web but mind the cayenne pepper as i added a bit to much
yield 1.5 litres (approx)

3 kg ripe tomatoes
2 tbls salt
600 ml white vinegar
1 1/8 cups (250 g) 9 oz white sugar
1/2 tsp each of ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and Cayenne pepper



method

1. Quarter the tomatoes, place them in a preserving pan with the salt and vinegar, and simmer until they are soft and quite broken up.

2. Rub the mixture through coarse muslin or a fine nylon sieve; then return it to the pan and add the sugar.

3. Simmer until the ketchup starts to thicken, and then add the spices to taste, a little at a time, stirring thoroughly.

4. Meanwhile, heat enough bottles to hold the ketchup, and prepare seal, a boiled cork to fit the bottle and either waxed or covered with greaseproof paper tied securely over.

5. When the ketchup is thick enough, fill the hot bottles, leaving a head-space.

6. Seal immediately, or allow the ketchup to cool slightly; then fill up the bottles, leaving a head space, and sterilize at 88°C for 30 minutes.

7. Seal immediately. Label when cold.

Note Remember that the ketchup will be thicker when cold, so do not reduce it too much.