Homemade ketchup for canning is one of those rare recipes that actually tastes better when made at home!
Ketchup is America’s favorite condiment when it comes to backyard BBQs and cook-outs.
That also happens to be when tomatoes are plentiful, so this homemade ketchup recipe uses fresh tomatoes!
Ketchup is a weakness of mine, especially, that I find myself craving at odd times.
I’m convinced my body is craving the licopene that is found in high concentrates in ketchup…or at least that’s what I tell myself.
History of Homemade Ketchup
Ketchup has a long, interesting history. It began as a fish and seafood pickle that English settlers brought back to England from China in the 18th century.
Once in the UK, the fish was substituted for mushrooms, and the word “cat-sup” changed to mean any thin, brown, savory sauce.
Mushroom ketchup was used in the United States as early as 1770’s.
By the early 1800’s, tomato ketchup had grown in popularity, but recipes for Oyster Catsup, Tomato Catsup, Mushroom Catsup, and even Walnut Catsup can be found in my favorite historical cookbook, The Virginia Housewife.
Sugar wasn’t added to the original ketchup recipe until it began to be commercially produced and sold in markets.
It was added as a preservative, and gives us that sweet, tangy taste we know today.
Eventually Ketchup evolved into BBQ sauce as well. Check out my recipe for home BBQ sauce for canning for more!
How to Make Homemade Ketchup
This homemade ketchup recipe is delicious, painfully easy to make, and will stand up to the pickiest eaters in your household.
Simply throw together fresh tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, water, salt, onion powder and garlic powder into your Instantpot on slow cooking or a crockpot.
Cook on low for several hours. The longer you let it cook the more the flavors meld and develop. Give it all day if you’ve got time!
Blend in batches with a blender or with an emersion blender until smooth and put it back in the pot to reduce further.
Below I’ve added both the recipe for a single batch that will keep in the fridge for a week or a big batch for canning roughly 7 pints, depending on consistency.
To can your homemade ketchup, simply fill sterilized mason jars, affix lids and rings and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes. It is high in acid so it can be water bath canned instead of pressure canned.
For more canning recipes check out:
Homemade Ketchup Recipe for Canning
Ingredients
- 24 lbs tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 3 cups white vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (or more depending on taste)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder (adjust to taste)
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a crockpot and cook on low for several hours.
- Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender or run it through a food mill.
- Return your ketchup to the crockpot and cook on low, uncovered, until the desired consistency.
- Once the desired consistency, transfer your hot ketchup to sterilized mason jars. (This recipe makes roughly 7 pints).
- Remove air bubbles, affix lids and rings, and seal finger-tight.
- Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
Mirian Coon
Monday 13th of March 2023
Could I use frozen tomatoes?
Kim
Saturday 22nd of October 2022
Do you take the seeds out?
Carol
Friday 19th of August 2022
I clicked on the link for homemade ketchup in the crock pot. It goes to a pizza dough recipe. I'd really like the smaller quantity recipe for homemade ketchup; there's only two in my household and I don't have that many tomatoes from the garden to make such a large quantity. Thank you!
P.S. My husband is a Brit; he came from the Staffordshire area. He calls ketchup "tomato sauce." It gets confusing at times when I go shopping. I'm not sure which one he wants! LOL.
Sandy G
Monday 8th of August 2022
Should the tomatoes be peeled too or does the food mill take care of that?
Lauren Dibble
Monday 22nd of August 2022
Food mill takes care of that!
Shelly Zimmerman
Monday 2nd of May 2022
Do you need to peel and seed your tomatoes first?