Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Preparing the tomatoes

1. For ketchup, choose large, very ripe tomatoes of a nice red color without white patches. Ideally, the variety should have a high dry matter content. Such varieties are usually grown for making tomato sauce and tomato paste, for salting and canning.

   

2. Put the tomatoes ready for processing into a large bowl and pour boiling water over them. After 1–2 mins, douse the tomatoes with cold water so they cool down and the skin comes loose.

   

   One at a time, carefully peel each tomato of its cellophane-like skin.

3. Cut the tomato in half and carefully remove the seeds. It is easiest to do this with a small knife, cutting the seed pockets away from the flesh.

   Try to make sure no hard seeds are left, otherwise the tomato ketchup will have clearly noticeable bits in it, and that is unpleasant.

   

   With a sharp knife, remove all the white parts inside, as there are almost always some. Also cut out the core where the green stem was. If a tomato turns out brownish inside, it is no good.

Tomato purée with spices

4. Grind the tomato flesh into a smooth purée. The easiest way is to put the tomato flesh into a blender and blend thoroughly. To get rid of any hard bits completely, such as leftover core and skin, I recommend also rubbing the purée through a sieve or a mesh colander. Despite all my care during preparation, almost a tablespoon of hard bits was left in the sieve.

   

   Homemade ketchup will be cooked with natural spices only, without any chemical additives. I settled on the following spice mix.

5. Put into a mortar 3–4 allspice berries, 5–6 black peppercorns, 1–2 pinches of ground nutmeg, a quarter teaspoon each of cumin and dried aromatic herbs: basil, oregano, savory, mint, and so on. Add 1/2 tsp of sugar (2 g) and 2–3 pinches of salt. Grind the spices very finely. I also recommend sifting the aromatic spice mix through a tea strainer.

   

6. Mix the tomato purée with the spices and add 1 tbsp of natural grape vinegar.

   You will most likely need to add salt and sugar to taste, but at the final stage of cooking.

   

Cooking the ketchup

7. Put the pot of tomato purée on the heat, medium or below medium. Do not rush the heating, ketchup easily sticks to the bottom of the pot. Do not cover the pot with a lid. Stir the tomato purée with a wooden spoon so it heats evenly.

   And one more thing, be careful: thick tomato purée spits large drops very aggressively when it boils, like a volcano.

   

8. Stirring often, simmer the tomato purée over low heat until it is thick enough for a sauce. This can take up to half an hour, which is usually enough. Taste the ketchup and add wine vinegar, salt, sugar and, strictly to taste, a little finely ground hot red pepper. Stir once more and let it boil for 1–2 mins.

   

9. Without preservatives, homemade ketchup does not keep long. But if you like, you can pour it into prepared jars while it is still boiling, seal them and sterilize for 10–15 mins in boiling water or an autoclave.

   I wrapped the hot jars in a wool blanket until they cooled completely and kept them in the fridge for several weeks. Then the ketchup was eaten to the last drop.

   

Serving

So, the homemade tomato ketchup is ready. As it cools, the sauce will thicken a little more thanks to the pectins in tomatoes, so the final consistency will be just right.

Tomato ketchup is a wonderful, pleasant sauce. It is easy and quick to make. It goes perfectly with grilled meat or kebabs. Any homemade pizza spread with this ketchup will be superb. By the way, tomato ketchup makes an excellent marinade for shashlik.

If you are planning a picnic or a backyard barbecue, put the tomato ketchup in a sauce boat and add herbs, hot pepper pods, garlic cloves, fresh bread or a lavash appetizer. Treat yourself to a feast and a delicious meal.