• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About

Boulder Locavore® logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Free Bonus
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×
    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 159 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
    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
    Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes every week)!
    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading
    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!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK , TWITTER , INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food, travel and what I’m up to!

    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 189 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
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!

    Originally published: October 4, 2012

    « Strawberry Cake: an Easy Summer Cake Recipe
    Peach Recipes: Sweet, Savory, Food & Drink »

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

    Free Email Course

    5 FAST & EASY 15-MINUTE RECIPES
    Spending too much time in the kitchen?
    These recipes are fast, easy, and perfect for every occasion.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda says

      June 06, 2021 at 8:32 am

      5 stars
      Great recipe.

      Reply
    2. John says

      June 05, 2021 at 3:48 am

      5 stars
      Hi

      Can you replace the sugar with honey?

      Regards
      John

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        June 06, 2021 at 2:47 pm

        I’ve only made it as written John but do let me know how it turns out if you try it!

        Reply
    3. L says

      April 13, 2021 at 9:21 am

      Hi! Would this be safe for home water-bath canning? 🙂

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        April 13, 2021 at 9:53 am

        Hi Lindsayn. If you are a canner you’ll already know the pH of a canning mixture determines whether it is appropriate for water bath canning vs pressure canning. This recipe wasn’t developed for the purpose of canning so you’d need to do some research to decide for yourself whether you feel it would work for canning and using which method. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Roberta says

      March 18, 2021 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      This is by far the best ketchup I’ve ever tasted!! Love this recipe and would recommend to anyone. It is easy, tasty, and really just the right amount

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        March 18, 2021 at 11:00 am

        So glad to hear it Roberta! I feel the same. Who ever thought ketchup could taste this good, right?

        Reply
    5. madhuri Shirke says

      February 03, 2021 at 7:18 am

      hii i like ur post and enjoyed it

      Reply
    6. Ayoyemi samuel says

      January 25, 2021 at 3:19 am

      Can I use lemon juice instead of vinegar?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        January 25, 2021 at 8:53 am

        Vinegar is a key ingredient in giving ketchup it’s flavor, for this recipe included. If it’s a case of not having any vinegar and wanting to make the recipe I would encourage waiting until you have all the ingredients. If you just don’t like vinegar and want to try lemon juice you certainly can experiment understanding you may not have a true ketchup flavor with the end result (but who knows, maybe you’ll like it better!).

        Reply
        • Lisa says

          June 06, 2021 at 8:43 am

          5 stars
          Loved it!

    7. Sebi says

      January 12, 2021 at 6:52 am

      No water?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        January 12, 2021 at 11:20 am

        Nope! The tomatoes release liquid as they cook.

        Reply
    8. Talha Ijaz says

      December 22, 2020 at 6:20 am

      good

      Reply
    9. Mary says

      November 27, 2020 at 7:18 am

      5 stars
      Since the first time I made this recipe I make it all the time now. I use it in my homemade BBQ sauce. We use it as the sauce on our homemade pizza. As one reviewer said it is the best and I will never buy ketchup from the store again. I also do not strain mine. I love the chunkiness.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        November 27, 2020 at 9:26 am

        So glad to hear it Mary! Thanks for leaving your comment. I need to try it I strained now too!

        Reply
    10. K says

      September 26, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last week and by far is the best ketchup recipe I’ve found. I would boil it down to make it thicker next time but the flavor is spot on.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Toni Dash

    Toni Dash BoulderLocavore.com Head Shot

    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

    AS FEATURED ON….

    BoulderLocavore.com Featured By Press

    Thanksgiving Favorites

    • Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Recipe
    • Bowl of Cranberry Sauce with jalapeno slices Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe
    • Crustless Pumpkin Pie Best Crustless Pumpkin Pie recipe
    • Turkey Hash turkey Leftovers recipe in mini cast iron skillets Holiday Turkey Hash: the Perfect Turkey Leftovers Recipe
    • Sour Cream Raisin Pie Sour Cream Raisin Pie: An Irresistible Easy Custard Pie
    • Balsamic Roasted Fall Vegetables with Sumac on a baking sheet titled image Balsamic Roasted Fall Vegetables with Sumac

    TRENDING RIGHT NOW

    • Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Recipe
    • Turkey Hash turkey Leftovers recipe in mini cast iron skillets Holiday Turkey Hash: the Perfect Turkey Leftovers Recipe
    • Bowl of Cranberry Sauce with jalapeno slices Spicy Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce Recipe
    • ALL BUTTER PIE CRUST Perfect All Butter Pie Crust – An Easy Guide for Success Every Time
    • Crustless Pumpkin Pie Best Crustless Pumpkin Pie recipe
    • EGGNOG MAGIC CAKE Eggnog Magic Cake: a Magical Christmas Dessert recipe

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Contact | About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Accessibility Statement | Cookie Policy


    SIGN ME UP to get FREE recipes directly to my inbox!

    Don't miss our TRAVEL SECTION!


    Copyright © 2010-2023 All Rights Reserved

    Boulder Locavore is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.