Homemade Ketchup

Ketchup Recipe

Step I: Getting your tomatoes ready

1. Harvest, inspect, and clean your tomatoes

2. Fill a pot with tomatoes first, then add water to fill.

3. Place pot over med - high flame, and heat tomatoes until skins start to split.

4. Allow tomatoes to cool.

5. Rinse in cold water, and remove the skins (Skins can be dehydrated, and turned into flakes that are delicious in stews)

6. Add skinless tomatoes into cans for canning - or pot for making Sauce.

Step II: Ingredients

• 2 cup tomatoes

• 4 teaspoons light brown sugar

• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 3 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 2 teaspoons A1 sauce

Step III: Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil stirring occasionally.

2. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes.

3. Then remove from heat allow to cool for 5 minutes, then either put in a blender or food processor (I used a food processor) and process until it is smooth in consistency (about 1 minute.)

4. Then put in a container and serve.

5. Refrigerate for storage. Lasts 4 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.

Step IV: Canning Ketchup

1. Fill a large 5-gallon pot or water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars that you are going to use, by at least an inch.

2. Set the canner on the stovetop, turn the heat to high, and bring the water to a boil.

3. While water is heating up, wash the jars and lids in hot water and dish soap.

4. Using a ladle and a funnel, fill the jars with the tomato sauce, leaving about 1/2 inch of head space.

5. Add two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar (or one to each pint jar)

6. Next, use the bubble remover to remove bubbles by moving it along the inside of the jar.

7. Clean the rim of each jar with a damp paper towel

8. Center the lid and close the jar.

9. Place the jars on the rack of the canner and lower the rack into the boiling water.

10. Cover the canner and process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes in the boiling water. See chart below*

11. Once processing time is up, turn the heat off and uncover the canner.

12. Let the jars stay in the hot water for 5 minutes before removing them.

13. Use the jar lifters to remove the jars from the canner and set them on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool completely (8-12 hours) before storing them

14. Wipe the jars down and store in a cool dark place like a pantry or a kitchen cabinet for up to 18 months.