Homemade Tomato Ketchup

A bowl of ketchup placed on a plate with french fries

This easy homemade tomato ketchup recipe has 7 real ingredients, isn't sugar-heavy and very kid friendly. As compared to store-bought ketchup which has a lot of sugar, stabilizers and preservatives, this recipe is healthy.

Course Dips, Dressings & Sauces

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 16kcal

Author Richa

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.
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!

Nutrition