Stocking up on tomatoes in any form is a smart move, as they are packed with a wealth of beneficial nutrients: carotenoids, B vitamins, a variety of organic and fatty acids, as well as potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, chlorine, sulfur, phosphorus, and sodium. Tomatoes boast antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and neuroprotective properties.
Ingredients: ripe tomatoes – 5 kg, onions – 1 kg, sugar – 250 g, 9% vinegar – 50 ml, salt – 2 tablespoons, paprika – 1 teaspoon, ground black pepper – 1 teaspoon, ground cloves – 1 teaspoon, ground cinnamon – 1 teaspoon.
Chop the tomatoes into large pieces and remove the cores. Place them in a pot and set to simmer over low heat. If there isn’t enough juice released (which should happen within 15 minutes), add a little water, stir, and continue cooking over medium heat for another 45 minutes. However, one hour won’t be enough to make ketchup; that’s just the beginning of the process.
Add the chopped onions, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 2 more hours. Throughout the cooking process, the mixture should be gently bubbling.
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the sugar, salt, and spices. Blend the vegetable mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the tomato seeds.
Put the pot back on the heat. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 hours—this is the time needed for the sauce to thicken naturally through evaporation, without any thickeners. At the end of cooking, add the vinegar, stir, and remove from heat after 5 minutes. Pour the finished tomato sauce into sterilized jars, seal them, let them cool completely, and store in a cool place.
Life Hacks
- The vinegar is included in the recipe for winter preservation—if the sauce will be consumed without long-term storage, you can skip the acid.
- You can diversify the flavor of homemade ketchup by combining tomatoes with apples, plums, or peppers.