How to Make Ketchup at Home
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In this post, I’ll show you how to make ketchup at home and preserve it. A few ingredients make a delicious tomato ketchup that puts supermarket ketchup in the shade.
The big advantage is that you choose the ingredients and how much sugar to use. At the end, you’ll find three more variations: no added sugar, quick ketchup and curry ketchup.
You can make your ketchup in a saucepan or Thermomix. Both work, and the result is the same. Depending on the version, preparation takes between 5 minutes for quick ketchup and about 1.5 hours. For more delicious recipes, take a look at my recipe collection.
Here you’ll find the complete ketchup recipe. Have fun and good luck making it!
Homemade ketchup – ingredients and equipment
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Grams | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients for about 750 ml ketchup | ||
| white vinegar | 100 ml | |
| kg tomatoes (alternatively about 1 kg strained tomatoes) | 2 | |
| tomato paste | 2 tsp | |
| sugar | 2 tsp | |
| salt | 2 tsp | |
| onion | 1 | |
| garlic clove | 1 | |
| thumb-sized piece of ginger | 1 | |
Spices
| Ingredient | Grams |
|---|---|
| Spices | |
| small bay leaf | 1 |
| white peppercorns | 0.5 tsp |
| allspice | 0.5 tsp |
| mace | 0.5 tsp |
Equipment
Saucepan or Thermomix
You’ll need a saucepan or Thermomix to make your ketchup. The method is the same for both.
Food mill or fine sieve
For straining the tomato mixture. I recommend a food mill, which keeps much more pulp than a regular sieve.
Spice grinder or mortar
For grinding the pepper and allspice. A spice grinder grinds them; a mortar lets you crush or pound them.
Homemade ketchup – step-by-step instructions
Prepare and salt the tomatoes
Slice the tomatoes and layer them in a bowl. Sprinkle each layer with a little salt and leave overnight. This draws out water and concentrates the flavor. Tip: Go easy on the salt. You’re only trying to draw out some water.
Alternatively, use strained tomatoes and skip this step.
Chop the onion, garlic and ginger
Finely dice the ginger, garlic and onion. Put them in a large saucepan.
Prepare the spices
Grind the pepper and allspice. Add all the spices and the tomato paste to the onions in the saucepan.
Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil
Add the salted tomatoes along with their released liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly until the tomatoes have softened a little.
Simmer for an hour
Simmer the tomato mixture over low heat for about 1 hour, until reduced by roughly half. Stir regularly so nothing burns.
Strain the mixture
Pass the cooked mixture through a food mill or fine sieve. Tip: A food mill works much better here than a sieve. A sieve loses too much pulp and leaves the result too thin.
Reduce with vinegar and sugar
Put the strained tomato sauce in a frying pan or back in the saucepan with the vinegar and sugar. Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes until thick. Important: Stir regularly so the ketchup doesn’t burn. It will thicken a little more as it cools.
Fill and enjoy
Once the ketchup has the texture you want, it’s ready to jar. Taste it first and adjust with a little more vinegar or sugar as you like. Your homemade ketchup is ready. It’s excellent with homemade bratwurst. Enjoy!
Storing homemade ketchup
Put your homemade ketchup in clean jars or bottles. Keep it in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 weeks.
Frequently asked questions about homemade ketchup
How should I store homemade ketchup?
How should I store homemade ketchup?
Use clean jars or bottles, keep the ketchup in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 weeks.
Can I make ketchup in a Thermomix?
Can I make ketchup in a Thermomix?
Yes, it works very well. Sauté the onions in the Thermomix, add all the ingredients and simmer for about 1 hour at 98 °C (208 °F). Blend, then cook down for another 30 minutes. The result is the same as using a saucepan.
Can I make ketchup from strained tomatoes?
Can I make ketchup from strained tomatoes?
Yes, use strained tomatoes instead of fresh ones. Use about 1 kg and start at step 2. The ketchup will be a little less fruity, but you’ll save the overnight salting and straining.
Can I freeze homemade tomato ketchup?
Can I freeze homemade tomato ketchup?
Yes, homemade ketchup freezes well. Portion it into suitable containers. Stir thoroughly after thawing, as the texture may change slightly.
How can I make ketchup without sugar?
How can I make ketchup without sugar?
Simply leave out the sugar and use 3 dates and 5 sun-dried tomatoes for natural sweetness instead. You’ll find my complete ketchup recipe without sugar below.
How long does homemade ketchup keep?
How long does homemade ketchup keep?
Your ketchup keeps in the refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Always use clean utensils.
3 more delicious ketchup recipes
Homemade ketchup without added sugar
Ingredients for ketchup without added sugar:
- 500 g tomatoes
- 5 sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 dates
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- Basil, oregano, salt, pepper
Method:
- Blend all the ingredients together.
- Put the mixture in a saucepan and cook it down.
- Once the ketchup has the texture you want, strain it and fill your jars.
Quick tomato ketchup: ready in 5 minutes
Sometimes you need something quick. This version uses tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes.
Ingredients for quick ketchup:
- 300 g tomato paste
- 100 g water
- 25 ml vinegar
- 25 g sugar
- 5 g salt
- 1 g garlic powder
- 1 g onion powder
Method:
- Blend all the ingredients together.
- Put the mixture in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.
- Let it cool, and your ketchup is ready to eat.
Homemade curry ketchup and spiced ketchup
You can use any version in this post as the base for this recipe.
For curry ketchup, I recommend about 10 g curry powder per 300 g ketchup. For spiced ketchup, let your imagination lead: cloves, more pepper or unusual chili combinations. Try the basic version with your favorite spices and make your own ketchup.
Homemade fig mustard goes well alongside it too.
