I put off making ketchup for a long time because it seemed like a big, lengthy, and complicated process. However, now that I’ve made ketchup many times, I can confirm that it’s actually straightforward and doesn’t require special cooking skills.

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What I love most about homemade ketchup is the flexibility—you can make it sweeter or less sweet and experiment with different spices. In this recipe, I’ll teach you how to make ketchup from scratch, using fresh tomatoes. Of course, you can also use canned tomatoes if you prefer.

Removing Seeds and Skins

Store-bought ketchup typically has a smooth texture without seeds or skin pieces. While you can achieve this, I prefer to use as many raw ingredients as possible, so I don’t remove the seeds and skins from the tomatoes. I recommend straining the cooked tomato paste through a fine mesh strainer if you want completely smooth, seed-free ketchup.

Vinegar in Ketchup

I always use apple cider vinegar in my own ketchup recipe, but you can use white vinegar too. Just be mindful of the vinegar’s strength and adjust accordingly. Apple cider vinegar is typically about 5% acidity. The stronger the vinegar, the less you need to use. Ketchup requires a significant amount of cooking time to allow the vinegar and other excess liquids to evaporate. If the vinegar is milder, you’ll need to add more, which will increase the evaporation time. Ketchup can also be made without vinegar, which you can read about in another recipe.

Seasoning Ketchup

What makes ketchup truly taste like ketchup? We’ve already mentioned vinegar for acidity and, of course, tomatoes. But two key spices are cloves and cinnamon. These give ketchup its “traditional” flavor. However, feel free to experiment with different spices to create unique sauces, like barbecue sauce or bolognese sauce.

FAQ

How to Use Ketchup? 

Tomato ketchup is great for pasta, meatballs, french fries, and even homemade hot dogs. Having ready-made ketchup on hand means you can add it to a variety of dishes.

How to Store Ketchup? 

Store ketchup in the fridge in an airtight container. Stir it occasionally to prevent mold. I keep my ketchup in a sealed glass jar. The vinegar in the ketchup helps preserve it.

How to Make Dark Ketchup? 

Once the mixture has thickened, continue cooking it over medium heat to make it darker and thicker without burning the sugar. The sugar in the ketchup caramelizes, giving it a darker color.

Do I need to add sugar?

You don’t have to use as much sugar as the recipe suggests. In fact, you don’t have to add any sugar at all—less sugar is always better. However, without any sugar, the ketchup will be quite sour. If you don’t like too sweet ketchup, you can simply use less sugar.

Ingredients

Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient quantities and nutritional information!

• Brown sugar – (you can use white refined sugar, but unrefined sugar is healthier)
• Tomatoes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Onion (or onion powder)
• Garlic (or garlic powder)
• Apple cider vinegar (5%) or another vinegar (adjust the amount according to strength)

Making Ketchup

1. Chop the tomatoes, onions, and garlic. No need to chop them finely as they will be blended later. I usually quarter larger tomatoes and halve smaller ones.
2. Crush the cloves into a fine powder. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, place the cloves in a tea infuser or a piece of cheesecloth to add to the mixture, so you can remove the pieces later.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pan and cook uncovered. Use a large pot or pan, but avoid cast iron as the acidic mixture can damage the seasoning.
4. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the mixture starts to thicken. As the vinegar evaporates, stir occasionally to prevent burning. When the mixture is thick and dark, remove from heat.
5. Blend the mixture in a jar with an immersion blender until smooth.
6. For a perfectly smooth texture, strain the ketchup to remove seeds and skins, but remember that most seeds will blend well.
7. Enjoy the ketchup hot or cold; the flavors develop better after cooling.

Tips and Ideas

• Use cloves sparingly as their flavor can become overpowering.
• Larger batches take longer to cook because more vinegar needs to evaporate. I usually make 1-2kg of tomatoes at a time to avoid making ketchup daily.
• Making ketchup in larger batches is convenient for storage in jars in the cellar or pantry.
• If you have very tomatoes, you don’t even need to cut them into pieces—simply squeeze them until they’re crushed.

Continue to Content

Easy Homemade Ketchup Recipe With Simple Ingredients

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

What I love most about homemade ketchup is the flexibility—you can make it sweeter or less sweet and experiment with different spices.

Print

Ingredients

• 1kg of tomatoes
• 25g of brown sugar
• 50g of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp of salt
• 0,5 tsp of cloves
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• Black pepper
• Onion (optional)
• Garlic (optional)

Instructions

1. 1Chop the tomatoes, onions, and garlic. No need to chop them finely as they will be blended later. I usually quarter larger tomatoes and halve smaller ones.
2. Crush the cloves into a fine powder. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, place the cloves in a tea infuser or a piece of cheesecloth to add to the mixture, so you can remove the pieces later.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pan and cook uncovered. Use a large pot or pan, but avoid cast iron as the acidic mixture can damage the seasoning.
4. Simmer until the tomatoes are soft and the mixture starts to thicken. As the vinegar evaporates, stir occasionally to prevent burning. When the mixture is thick and dark, remove from heat.
5. Blend the mixture in a jar with an immersion blender until smooth.
6. For a perfectly smooth texture, strain the ketchup to remove seeds and skins, but remember that most seeds will blend well.
7. Enjoy the ketchup hot or cold; the flavors develop better after cooling.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 445Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 7131mgCarbohydrates: 103gFiber: 29gSugar: 56gProtein: 13g