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Ketchup

Source of Recipe

From "Ball Canning Back to Basics"


Recipe Introduction

"Much tastier than store-bought, this ketchup is also lower in sugar and salt than commercial brands."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 tablespoons celery seeds
â—¦ 4 teaspoons whole cloves
â—¦ 2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
â—¦ 1½ teaspoons whole allspice
â—¦ Cheesecloth
â—¦ 3 cups apple cider vinegar
â—¦ 24 pounds tomatoes, cored and quartered (about 72 medium)
â—¦ 3 cups chopped onion (about 4 medium)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
â—¦ 1½ cups sugar
â—¦ ¼ cup Ball Salt for Pickling and Preserving


Recipe

Tie celery seeds, cloves, cinnamon sticks and allspice in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag. Combine the vinegar and spice bag in a stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil over high. Remove from heat and let stand 25 minutes. Discard spice bag.

Combine tomatoes, onion, and cayenne in a clean large stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and boil gently 20 minutes. Add infused vinegar and boil gently until vegetables are soft and mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes.

Transfer mixture, working in batches, to a mesh strainer placed over a glass or stainless steel bowl and press with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid. (This can also be done using a food mill.) Discard solids. Return the liquid to the saucepan. Add the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by half and the mixture is almost the consistency of commercial ketchup, about 45 minutes.

Ladle the hot ketchup into a hot jar, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled.

Process the jars for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.


Makes about seven (1-pint) jars