Homemade Tomato Ketchup – yessss! Making tomato ketchup at home is easier than you think - only SEVEN REAL ingredients. Store bought ketchup has preservatives, stabilizers and taste enhancers – none of which are good for our kids. But when it’s not coming out of a bottle, tomato ketchup isn’t necessarily a bad thing and makes for a great dipping sauce.
How many of us have told our kids to go easy on the ketchup? Because we all know ketchup from the bottle isn’t great for our kids bodies or ours.
My experience growing up was a little different though. I grew up eating homemade tomato ketchup as a kid – that’s right, homemade! It’s something my grandmothers - nani and dadi would always have in the fridge, and I still remember the taste to this day.
Homemade tomato ketchup doesn’t have any of the preservatives, stabilizers and taste enhancers that store-bought versions do. No matter how cute the ketchup bottle is, the ingredients aren’t always healthy. The best part about making homemade ketchup is not having to look over your shoulder to monitor what your little one is eating because you know there’s only real ingredients on their plate.
Love kid-friendly recipes? Try my Banana Dosa | Healthy Banana Crepes recipe!
Today I’m sharing my childhood favourite tomato ketchup recipe with you all). It’s one of those recipes that just sticks with you, and as a mum, I feel so good every time I make a fresh batch of this.
- This recipe is made using pantry ingredients - everything you need to make homemade ketchup is likely already at home!
- Most of the cooking in this recipe is hands off - so there’s not much active cooking you need to do
- You can store this for 3-4 weeks in the fridge so it’s convenient too - not one of those homemade recipes that calls for a fresh batch every week
Ingredients You'll Need for Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Here's everything you need to make tomato sauce at home:
- Tomatoes - I recommend using hybrid or Roma tomatoes for this recipe as they are not as sour as desi tomatoes - we don’t want the ketchup to be too tart otherwise the little ones won’t like it!
- Onions and Garlic - Adds a nice balance to the tomatoes without making the ketchup too sharp as we only add a little bit here.
- Whole Spices: Bay Leaves, Cinnamon, Cloves - the flavour from these spices will infuse into the tomato mixture when pressure cooking and not only add a wonderful aroma but really take the taste up a notch too
- Water - to blend everything together, we will reduce the water afterwards to achieve that thick ketchup texture.
- Sugar - for that signature ketchup sweetness! You really only need these few ingredients to achieve that classic ketchup taste - contrary to bottled ingredient lists!
- Salt - flavour
- Vinegar - For the tang
How do you make Homemade Tomato Ketchup?
Here's a step by step recipe to make tomato ketchup:
1. Add tomato, onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon and water to a pressure cooker.
2. Cover the lid and place over medium-high heat for 3-4 whistles. Once done, turn the flame off and let the pressure release naturally.
3. Remove the lid of the pressure cooker. Discard the whole spices (cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon). Let it cool down and transfer the contents to a mixer or food processor.
4. Grind to a smooth paste, do this in batches if working with a small mixer jar.
5. Pass it through a sieve and ensure there are no lumps.
6. Transfer to a heavy bottomed pan. Place the pan over low flame and reduce the mix while stirring frequently. Ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan.
7. Add sugar, vinegar, salt and mix well. Reduce the ketchup mix until it reaches a thick consistency.
8. Once it reaches the desired consistency, turn off the heat and allow it to cool. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and keep refrigerated!
What is the main ingredient in Tomato Ketchup?Â
If you look at the packaged bottle labels, you’ll find sugar and tomato paste are the main ingredients for ketchup. For this homemade recipe, however, the main ingredients are fresh tomatoes - real goodness.
How do you preserve Tomato Ketchup?
You can preserve tomato ketchup by keeping it refrigerated. Make sure to sterilize the container/bottle in which you store it. Do this by submerging the container in steaming water for around 5-10 minutes and then make sure to fully dry it before storing your ketchup in it. The ketchup will remain good for 3-4 weeks if it's refrigerated. The salt, vinegar and sugar also act as preservatives..
Why is vinegar added to Tomato Ketchup?
Vinegar is what adds that tanginess to ketchup and helps balance out the sweetness. It also acts as a preservative.
What makes Tomato Ketchup thick?
Tomato ketchup is made thick by reducing the tomato-water mixture on the stove for around 40 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Make sure to keep stirring every couple minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.
How do you make Homemade Ketchup smooth?
Using a high-powered blender and running it through a sieve after makes sure the ketchup is really smooth. Don’t forget to remove the whole spices before blending!
The next time you’re serving up some french fries for the kiddos, accompany them with this homemade ketchup and you’ll see big smiles on everybody’s face, including yours!
If you enjoyed this recipe, tune in to my new series on YouTube featuring kid-friendly recipes and detailed tips and tricks to nail them. No kids will be throwing a fuss at meal times around here!
Watch the Recipe Video
LOVE THIS RECIPE? Subscribe to my newsletter and be the first to receive all new recipes!
Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Ingredients
- 1 kg Roma Tomato roughly chopped
- 50 grams Onion roughly chopped
- 6 Cloves Garlic
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- ¼ Cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 Tablespoon Vinegar
- ¾ Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Add tomato, onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon and water to a pressure cooker. Cover the lid and place over medium high heat for 3-4 whistles. Once done, turn the flame off and let the pressure release naturally.
- Remove the lid of the pressure cooker. Discard the whole spices (cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon). Let it cool down and transfer the contents to a mixer or food processor. Grind to a smooth paste.
- Then pass it through a sieve and transfer to a heavy bottomed pan.
- Place the pan over low flame and reduce the mix while stirring frequently. Ensure it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the ketchup mix until it reaches a thick consistency. Add sugar, vinegar, salt and mix well. Simmer for another 2 minutes, turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
- Once completely cool, transfer to a sterilized bottle or jar and keep refrigerated!
Video
Notes
- How do you preserve tomato ketchup? You can preserve tomato ketchup by keeping it refrigerated. Make sure to sterilize the container/bottle in which you store it. Do this by submerging the container in steaming water for around 5-10 minutes and then make sure to fully dry it before storing your ketchup in it. The ketchup will remain good for 3-4 weeks if it's refrigerated. The salt, vinegar and sugar also act as preservatives.
- Why is vinegar added to tomato ketchup? Vinegar is what adds that tanginess to ketchup and helps balance out the sweetness. It also acts as a preservative.
- What makes tomato ketchup thick? Tomato ketchup is made thick by reducing the tomato-water mixture on the stove for around 40 minutes, until the liquid evaporates. Make sure to keep stirring every couple minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.Â
- How do you make homemade ketchup smooth? Using a high powered blender and running it through a sieve after makes sure the ketchup is really smooth. Don’t forget to remove the whole spices before blending!
Leave a Comment