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    Home » Recipes » Condiments and Sauces » The Best Homemade Ketchup – Made with Fresh Tomatoes!

    LAST UPDATED: November 4, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: July 8, 2019 By Toni Dash 161 Comments

    The Best Homemade Ketchup – Made with Fresh Tomatoes!

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    homemade ketchup title image

    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.

    homemade ketchup title image
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    homemade ketchup title image

    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!

    Homemade Ketchup ingredients

    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.

    spices for homemade ketchup on cheesecloth

    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.
    cheesecloth spice packet tied with twine for homemade ketchup
    • 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
    Homemade ketchup in glass jar

    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

    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    Recipe

    Best Homemade Ketchup in glass jar

    The Best Homemade Ketchup

    Most tomato sauces are made with Roma style tomatoes due to their lower moisture content and high flavor. I made my 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!
    5 from 197 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Condiment
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 32 1 tablespoon serving (total yeild aproximately 2 cups)
    Calories: 15kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    How to store
    Store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 
    Note on canning this recipe:
    We are often asked about canning this recipe to preserve it at room temperature. For water bath canning the acidity level is key for food safety. Since we cannot control what tomatoes people use (acidity level) or the acidity of the vinegar used we don’t make recommendations on canning this recipe.

    Adapted from Saveur Magazine

    Nutrition

    Calories: 15kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    homemade ketchup title image
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    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Originally published: October 4, 2012

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Caroline says

      July 09, 2019 at 8:46 am

      5 stars
      I have to admit I’m not generally that big a fan of ketchup but that’s mainly as I find commercial ones too sweet and not really that tomatoey. This homemade version sounds so much better and I think I need to try it soon!

      Reply
    2. Liz says

      July 09, 2019 at 8:38 am

      5 stars
      Such a terrific recipe! I made this for a 4th of July cookout and it was a huge hit!

      Reply
    3. Julie says

      July 09, 2019 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      Love this! So much better than store bought! The flavors were great and the tomatoes definitely shined through!

      Reply
    4. David says

      July 07, 2019 at 8:27 pm

      Can this ketchup be canned with a traditional water bath or would it require a pressure cooker?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        July 07, 2019 at 10:45 pm

        I actually haven’t ever canned it David. The method would depend on the acidity so you’d need to do some research I think to determine whether it can be canned and if so by which method.

        Reply
    5. Fred Tesch says

      March 15, 2019 at 12:04 pm

      5 stars
      Just finished making this, I am so impressed, this was so easy and fun to make, and the taste is wonderful. I also used my vitamix which is the perfect tool for this recipe, thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
    6. Kerrie Sell says

      November 30, 2018 at 7:00 pm

      Can you freeze some of this for later use? Or can it, to keep it longe? Even with my ketchup addicted 3 year old, I don’t know that we’d go through it in 3 weeks, plus, I’d want to make extra to have on hand!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        December 01, 2018 at 8:55 am

        Kerrie though I have not frozen it myself you certainly can. Put it in a freezer-safe container with 1/2-inch space at the top for expansion. Keep it frozen up to 6 months.

        Reply
    7. Summer says

      November 18, 2018 at 7:31 am

      5 stars
      I love this homemade recipe because it has so much less salt than store bought ketchup!
      This recipe is so creative! Thank you for sharing. ?

      Reply
    8. Maria says

      October 24, 2018 at 4:15 am

      5 stars
      I made this tonight for burgers and fries. it doesn’t really taste like storebought ketchup, but it is really good! Much stronger flavor, and the tomato really shines through. I liked it a lot, especially how quick it was to make.nice sharing. thanks for the recipe. good one.?

      Reply
    9. Lily says

      September 28, 2018 at 3:22 am

      Thanks for sharing the secret recipe with us. The tomato ketchup recipe looks thick and flavorful with those lovely ingredients. It sounds wonderful. It would be helpful for everybody, who would like to cook tomato ketchup recipe. As usual, the pictures look stunning.
      Thanks a lot Anders! I love simple recipes so much ?
      How long does this last? Can it be made ahead?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        September 28, 2018 at 5:17 am

        Hi Lily. As noted in the blog post the ketchup can be kept for up to 3 weeks in the refridgerator.

        Reply
    10. Susann says

      September 17, 2018 at 12:34 pm

      I made this yesterday. Doubled the recipe. It took me only about 2 hours from start to finish. And WOW! It’s so good I’m inventing ways to use it. FYI I used a Vitamix to blend after cooking and I didn’t need to strain it. Three weeks isn’t long to keep a jar of ketchup in the fridge. I’ll try freezing it. I’ve frozen tomato sauce and it was fine so I imagine this would be the same. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        September 17, 2018 at 1:02 pm

        I love getting your comment Susann; thank you! Isn’t it a completely different condiment?! The reason for the shorter life span is based on being made with all fresh ingredients. I’d love to hear how it works out if you freeze it. Will you please ‘report back’? Thanks again (I too have a Vitamix and will try that next).

        Reply
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