Homemade Ketchup is bursting with fresh tomato flavor and spices. It’s easy to make and totally worth it! You’ve never REALLY tasted ketchup until you’ve made it yourself.
A quick walk around your local grocery store or Farmer’s Market reminds the peak of tomato season is on its way.
Every imagineable variety and shape is available, boasting a natural sweetness only found with in-season tomatoes.
Canners are preparing to get their tomato sauce on and most of use are gobbling them up in fresh form salads, dressing, sandwiches or just by themselves.
I have a recipe that has been a long-time summer favorite you MUST MAKE before summer ends: the Best Homemade Ketchup!
Jump to:
- Why Make Homemade Ketchup?
- What Type of Tomatoes are Used in Homemade Ketchup?
- Is it Hard to Make Homemade Ketchup?
- How Long will Homemade Ketchup Last?
- Does Homemade Ketchup Thicken as It Cooks?
- Homemade Ketchup Ingredients
- How to Make Homemade Ketchup – Step by Step:
- Suggested Supplies for Making Homemade Ketchup
- More Recipes You’ll Love
- Recipe
Like many things, once you make it from scratch with fresh tomatoes you’ll realize how fantastic ketchup can be AND will want to use it with many recipes.
Why Make Homemade Ketchup?
Like many homemade recipes for items that are mass produced, the flavor of homemade ketchup is better in my opinion.
Most homemade ketchup recipes are made with canned tomatoes. That’s fine but nothing beats fresh tomatoes, am I right?
This recipe uses fresh tomatoes and aromatic spices to make a sauce like none you’ve tried!
What Type of Tomatoes are Used in Homemade Ketchup?
Most tomato sauces are made with Roma style tomatoes due to their lower moisture content and high flavor.
I made my homemade ketchup with a mix of Roma hybrids and heirloom cherry tomatoes and it was delicious.
Experiment with the tomatoes you have on hand for varied flavor in every batch!
Is it Hard to Make Homemade Ketchup?
No! It’s very easy and takes less than an hour with most of the time being inactive time of yours.
How Long will Homemade Ketchup Last?
It should be kept in a glass container, sealed, for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.
NOTE: since tomatoes are acidic they can react with plastics which is why glass containers are recommended.
How to Freeze It
I’ve never personally frozen this ketchup recipe as it gets eaten too fast BUT you can freeze ketchup!
I recommend freezing using an ice cube tray.
- After the ketchup is totally cooled, fill the cavities in a plastic or silicon ice cube tray. This allows use in smaller volume.
- Place in the freezer to hard freeze.
- Once the cubes are solid, remove them and place them in a large plastic freezer bag or container.
- Remove as needed and thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
- Stir the ketchup before use.
The consistency may be more runny after freezing and thawing.
Does Homemade Ketchup Thicken as It Cooks?
It does! It will simmer for about 30 minutes during which time it does thicken.
Homemade Ketchup Ingredients
This homemade ketchup recipe is full of fresh seasonal ingredients, herbs and spices that you’ll love!
- whole cloves
- bay leaf
- cinnamon stick
- celery seeds
- chile flakes
- whole allspice
- Roma (or Plum) tomatoes
- kosher salt
- apple cider vinegar
- light brown sugar
- yellow onion
- Anaheim chile
- garlic clove
Trust me you’ll never want to use store bought ketchup again!
How to Make Homemade Ketchup – Step by Step:
For a detailed printable recipe, please refer to the recipe card at the end of the blog post. Check out the video too.
- Make a spice packet with a square of double layered cheesecloth. Add the cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, celery seeds, chile flakes, and allspice.
- Tie closed with kitchen twine.
- Add the tomatoes, salt, vinegar, sugar, onion, chile, garlic and spice packet to a 4-quart pot.
- Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the spice packet and discard.
- Puree the ketchup and strain to remove any seeds.
- Add back in the pot to simmer longer and thicken (about 30 more minutes).
- When thickened to a desired texture (note: will thicken more when cool), the homemade ketchup is put in a glass container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Suggested Supplies for Making Homemade Ketchup
- Kitchen Knife
- 4-quart pot (avoid cast iron, unless well-seasoned, or aluminum)
- Immersion Blender, traditional Blender OR Food Mill
- Fine mesh Strainer
- Glass containers with lids
- Cheesecloth
- Kitchen Twine
Like the idea of making your own condiments from scratch? Here are some more recipes ideas!
- How to Make Mustard (Wonky Wonderful)
- Homemade Mayonnaise (15 Spatulas)
- Chipotle Mayonnaise
- Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish (Saving Room for Dessert)
- Homemade Sriracha (White on Rice)
- Quick Pickled Red Onions
More Recipes You’ll Love
Shakshuka (Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Homemade Tomato Soup: an Easy Fresh Tomato Soup Recipe
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Recipe
The Best Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon chile flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon whole allspice
- 2 pounds Roma (or Plum) tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 5 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 1 Anaheim chile deseeded and chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove diced
- Cheesecloth
- Kitchen twine
Instructions
- Prepare a square single layer of cheesecloth that will fit all the spices with room to fold and secure the contents.
- Place the cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, celery seeds, chile flakes, and allspice in the middle of the cheesecloth. Fold closed and secure with a length of kitchen twine.
- In a medium stock pot 4-quarts or larger (enough to house the tomatoes with some extra room) place tomatoes, salt, vinegar, sugar, onion, chile, garlic and spice packet. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes and chiles are soft and onions are translucent and limp (about 30 minutes).
- Remove and discard spice packet. Puree the sauce using an immersion blender, traditional blender or food mill.
- Strain the ketchup through a fine mesh strainer back into the cooking pot. NOTE: this step removes any seeds.
- Cook over medium-low heat for an additional 20-30 minutes until thickened to your preference.
- Store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Video
Notes
Adapted from Saveur Magazine
Nutrition
Originally published: October 4, 2012
Joanne says
So much better than any ketchup you can buy at the store!
Amy says
This reminds me of the local burger place Chomp’s ketchup. They make their own with these same spices and it is to die for good!!!
Liz Mays says
This sounds like it would be a fun kitchen project. I’m glad it’s not too difficult! Having our own homemade ketchup will be great.
Myrah Duque says
It never occurred to me to make homemade Ketchup! NOW I do want to make some. It seems so easy and my family LOVES ketchup. Thanks for the recipe.
robin rue says
I had no idea I could make my own ketchup, but you can bet I’m trying this! We use A LOT of ketchup in our house.
Viviane Bauquet Farre says
Marvelous ketchup recipe, Toni! I love the addition of cloves; what a fun flavor for this king of condiments. Also, the color is original and very enticing. Bravo!
Nancy/SpicieFoodie says
I’ve always wanted to make my own ketchup. Thanks for sharing this. I have to bookmark it and give it a go. Love the tomatoes photo.
PolaM says
I’ve been looking for a recipe for ketchup for a while. This recipe looks pretty great! I’ll save it!
Brooks says
Toni, I’m completely intrigued with the notion of making my own ketchup! Like you, we have 7 varieties of tomatoes this year with the San Marzanos being the most prolific. Better yet, my kids have become enlightened by the rampant use of HFCS in processed foods―my point being that we’d rather choose our sugar intake (like cake) rather than high amounts hidden in nearly everything commercially made. There’s one more spurt of tomatoes to come this season, and I know exactly what to do with them. Cheers from NorCal!
mj says
I was reading the first line and thinking it sounds like me….at the end u said Gemini..that revealed it all….I realized why it sound like me….so u become my twin blogger friend 🙂 lol….before i say anything about the ketchup…those tomatoes looks soo gorgeous….every year, my mom makes ketchup {she has a garden, I don’t 🙁 } The addition of all those spices sound really really delish….next time i’ll ask her to try this recipe 🙂
john@kitchenriffs says
I’ve never been tempted to make my own ketchup – we go through all of maybe a bottle or two a year, and that big brand isn’t bad, although kinda sweet – but I must say I really like the flavoring assortment you used in your recipe. A bit of spice and sass going on there – it sounds tremendous. Maybe if I think of this as a spiced tomato sauce instead of ketchup? That might be enough to get me to make it! Anyway, adding this to my long, long list of stuff to try – it really sounds interesting. Thanks.
Toni | Boulder Locavore says
Frankly John I’d given it a nanosecond of thought only in the last year. My attempts were born from not being able to bear the idea of canning this fall but wanting to disposition my larder of tomatoes. I am so glad I did too as it blows store-bought ketchup out of the water flavor-wise.
I get the feeling from your comment you may have a ketchup ‘issue’ going on so YES think of it however you need to to make some and then you won’t turn back!