If you’re looking for a delicious new way to preserve your garden tomatoes, come try homemade ketchup! This recipe will walk you through the step-by-step process to make your own sweet and savory ketchup using fresh tomatoes, perfect for canning or easy freezer storage. (I’ve included directions for both options.) Making ketchup is a labor of love, but oh-so worth it. Boasting rich, concentrated fresh tomato flavors and complex savory spices, homemade ketchup tastes phenomenal compared to the stuff you buy at the store! We love eating it with eggs, potatoes, veggie burgers, and so much more. I’ve been testing and tweaking our ketchup recipe for many years, so I’m excited to finally share it with you all. I hope you love it too! What you can expect from this recipe In addition to being far more tasty and interesting than store-bought, our homemade ketchup recipe is also much lower in sugar, salt, or other additives than commercial brands. Homemade ketchup made with fresh tomatoes has a more rustic texture and appearance than the super smooth, processed ketchup you may be accustomed to. It may be more or less thick, depending how long you cook it. Though we use a different process and spices, the core ingredients for our ketchup recipe are adapted from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving, so it’s pH-tested and safe for canning. Or, you can simply freeze ketchup to preserve it instead. This recipe does not require blanching or peeling the tomatoes, particularly if you use a food mill! However, if you use a sieve instead, you may want to blanch and peel the tomatoes before starting, which will make straining and extracting liquid without a mill much easier (though not necessary). Here are instructions on how to blanch and peel tomatoes. What types of tomatoes are best for ketchup? You can use any kind of tomatoes you have available. We often mix several varieties! However, the best tomatoes to make ketchup are those with low water content, a meaty texture, and plenty of natural sugars and acid – such as paste tomatoes like Roma and San Marzano. Given their high skin-to-flesh ratio, I don’t recommend making ketchup with cherry tomatoes alone. In addition to fresh, you can also make homemade ketchup with frozen tomatoes. In fact, using frozen tomatoes can help make it even easier since their skins often slip right off as they defrost! See tips to freeze and defrost whole tomatoes here. Plum Regal (determinate) and Granadero (indeterminate) are two of our favorite Roma-type tomato varieties to grow. RELATED: Looking for more ways to preserve tomatoes? Don’t miss our easy roasted tomato sauce recipe or my favorite delicious creamy tomato basil soup to freeze. Ingredients This recipe yeilds approximately 4 to 5 pints of homemade ketchup. 12 pounds of fresh tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped. Choose fruit that is nice and ripe, but relatively free of blemishes or damage. 1 cup chopped onions, sweet yellow or white 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 3/4 cup white cane sugar 1.5 cups of vinegar. Be sure to use vinegar that contains 5% acidity for canning safety. We like to combine 1 cup of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup white vinegar for a nice balance of sweet and tangy flavors. (If you only have one type, I’d suggest using all apple cider vinegar.) Spices 1 cinnamon stick. Substitute with 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon if you don’t have whole sticks. 2 Tbsp salt. Choose a kosher, canning or pickling salt – not table salt. 1 tsp celery seed. This is the ONLY seasoning you’ll add during the initial cooking phase, prior to milling (since it’s more chunky so we want it strained out). 1/2 tsp garlic powder. If you don’t have powder, chop and add 2 fresh cloves with the onion and bell pepper. 1/2 tsp paprika. Try smoked paprika for an extra savory twist, or substitute with cayenne or chili powder for a sweet-n-spicy ketchup! 1/4 tsp ground clove 1/4 tsp ground allspice or cardamom. Allspice is warm and cozy, while cardamom offers more of a bright, citrusy and herbaceous spice. We’ve used both over the years (depending on what we had in the pantry) and both compliment the recipe nicely! NOTE: Feel free to change or adjust the seasonings in this ketchup recipe, but for canning safety, do not adjust the amount of tomatoes, onions, pepper or vinegar. Supplies Needed A large non-reactive pot. We used a 12 quart stock pot though 8 should work too. A food mill, large sieve or fine-mesh strainer. If you have neither, you could try lining a regular strainer with cheesecloth. Thorough straining is key to making thick, smooth homemade ketchup! I personally like to use a food mill, which is the most efficient and easy way to extract as much liquid as possible. A large non-reactive mixing bowl (e.g. glass, ceramic, or high quality stainless steel). A cutting board, knife, and measuring cups Kitchen scale Canning supplies including jars, lids, a canning pot, rack, jar lifter, etc. Here is a handy canning kit with everything you need! Instructions 1) Prepare the Tomatoes, Onions and Peppers Wash the tomatoes and bell pepper well. (As I mentioned before, you may also choose to blanch and peel the tomatoes first if you’re not using a food mill.) Core the tomatoes (as needed) and then roughly chop them in smallish chunks. I find it’s easiest to cut tomatoes using a serrated knife. It’s fine to leave the skins on! They’ll be removed by the mill. Add the prepped tomatoes to a large mixing bowl as you go, not to the pot. Dice the bell pepper and onions too. Those can go into the pot or a smaller separate bowl. Our Roma’s don’t have significant cores, so I simply trim the top stem portion off before chopping them up. 2) Initial Cook Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and only about one-quarter of the prepared tomatoes (about 2 quarts) to a large stockpot. Also add the chopped garlic cloves now, if you’re using fresh instead of powder. Cook them over medium-high heat until the veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. This gives the peppers and onions a chance to cook well before they’re inundated by tomatoes. Next, add the rest of the chopped tomatoes along with the celery seed to the pot. Bring to a light boil, and then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes with the lid off. During this time, the tomatoes will become soft, release their juices, and the skins will come away from the flesh. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 to 20 minutes, allowing it to cool slightly – just enough to handle while straining. Only 1/3 of the tomatoes in the pot to cook with the onion and bell pepper at first After the initial cook, cooling a bit before milling/straining 3) Strain with Food Mill or Sieve Position your food mill or sieve over a large non-reactive mixing bowl. Working in batches, carefully ladle the cooked tomato mixture into the food mill or sieve and thoroughly strain it, catching and reserving the liquid in the bowl below. In our food mill, we find it’s helpful to turn the handle several times in one direction, then back the other direction for a turn or two to mix things up. In a sieve, stir and firmly press the mixture with the back of a large spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. You can either compost the collected solids, or save the skins to dry and turn into homemade tomato powder! It’s a fantastic and versatile seasoning on its own, or can be reconstituted into tomato paste later. I love the extra flavor that the onion and bell pepper adds too. Milling to extract the juices and flesh, removing the seeds, skins, and onions Have a bowl ready to collect the skins as you go – and use them to make tomato powder! Look at that beautiful thick tomato juice 4) Season, Cook and Reduce Now return the strained or milled tomato juice to the pot, and then add the called-for vinegar, sugar, spices, and cinnamon stick. (Remember that we already added the celery seed in the previous step.) Note the approximate volume or level in the pot. Return the mixture to a boil, then steadily simmer (uncovered) over medium-low heat until it reduces by at least one-half and has thickened nicely. This could take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. You can cook it longer to achieve your desired consistency, though keep in mind it will thicken slightly once it cools too. (We’ve let ours simmer for over 90 minutes before.) Stir regularly to ensure the sides and bottom don’t burn, especially as it gets thicker. Locate and remove the cinnamon stick once the ketchup is almost finished cooking. Get your canning supplies ready while the ketchup is reducing on the stove, including pre-heating the water bath.  In this particular batch, I tried using two cinnamon sticks but decided I like it better with just one. I monitor how much the ketchup has reduced by noting the level/depth on a wooden spoon as it cooks. Canning Ketchup Remove from heat, and transfer the hot ketchup into hot sterilized canning jars with the assistance of a clean canning funnel.  Fill jars nearly full, leaving 1/4 inch head space. This handy tool makes it easy to measure headroom as well as carefully remove air bubbles from the jar. Use a clean damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars before adding canning lids and rings. Screw on the rings to finger-tight only, not overly tight. Use a jar lifter to carefully transfer the jars to your pre-heated canning pot, cover with a lid, and vigorously boil. The jars should be covered by 2 inches of water. Add more boiling water if needed. See chart below for processing times. When the time is up, remove the lid and turn off the heat, but let the jars sit in the canner for another 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Leave jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours before checking seals. (Do not stack or press on the top of the lids.) Recommended process time for Tomato Ketchup in a boiling water canner.Process Time at Altitudes ofStyle of PackJar Size0 – 1,000 ft1,001 – 6,000 ftAbove 6,000 ftHotHalf-pintsor Pints15 min2025Table from National Center for Home Food Preservation Tips for Freezing Homemade Ketchup To freeze this ketchup recipe, allow it to cool to lukewarm in the pot before transferring it into your freezer-safe containers of choice. We love these durable, reusable BPA-free freezer containers that come in a variety of sizes. You can also freeze jam in wide mouth pint or half-pint glass jars (not regular mouth, as jars with “shoulders” are prone to cracking in the freezer). Leave at least a half-inch of head space. Or, you can freeze individual servings of ketchup. Simply fill an ice cube tray with ketchup, place it in the freezer to solidify overnight, and then pop out the frozen ketchup cubes to store together in an air-tight freezer bag or container with a lid. These flexible food-grade silicone trays create the perfectly petite potions of ketchup (about 2 tablespoons per cube), or preserve larger servings with jumbo silicone ice cube trays like these. Defrost frozen ketchup in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before use. Freezing roasted tomato sauce in our favorite reusable freezer containers. Storage and Shelf Life Store canned, sealed jars of homemade ketchup in a cool dark location for up to two years – such as a pantry, cellar, or kitchen cabinet. For the best quality, use within one year. Storing jars without canning rings reduces the risk of false seals. Frozen ketchup will stay good in the freezer for a year or longer, though the quality will start to degrade with time. Once open, homemade ketchup should stay good in the refrigerator for one to two months, possibly longer. Signs of spoilage include mold growth, off odors or taste. Discard immediately if you suspect it has spoiled. Now look out burgers, hotdogs, french fries, and eggs… here comes some of the best-tasting ketchup ever! If you try this recipe, please leave a review and feel free to ask any questions in the comments below. Enjoy! You may also like: 13 Ways to Preserve Tomatoes: Recipes to Freeze, Can, and More The Best Zucchini Relish Recipe (Canning, Freezer or Refrigerator) Creamy Roasted Tomato Basil Soup with Fresh Tomatoes (Vegan) Easy Fruit Shrub Recipe: How to Make Delicious Drinking Vinegar Best Refrigerator Pickles Recipe: Quick, Easy, Crunchy Dill Pickles Print Homemade Ketchup Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes (Canning or Freezer) A delicious, rustic, sweet-and-savory homemade ketchup recipe using fresh tomatoes and spices, perfect for canning or easy freezer storage! Course Condiment, Preserves, Sauce, Side DishKeyword canning kethcup, homemade ketchup, how to make ketchup, ketchup recipe, ketchup with fresh tomatoes Prep Time 30 minutes minutesCook Time 1 hour hourCanning (adjust for altitude) 15 minutes minutes Servings 4 pints EquipmentLarge non-reactive pot (we use a 12 quart pot though 8-10 should work too)A food mill, large sieve, or fine-mesh strainer (food mill is most easy/efficient)Large mixing bowlCanning supplies including jars, lids, a canning pot, rack, jar lifter, etc.Kitchen scaleCutting board, knife and measuring cups Ingredients12 pounds fresh ripe tomatoes cored and roughly chopped1 cup sweet yellow or white onion chopped 1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped 1.5 cups vinegar – I like to use 1 cup apple cider vinegar and .5 cup white vinegar, or all ACV if I had to choose just one (ensure it's 5% acid for canning)3/4 cup white cane sugarSpices1 whole cinnamon stick2 Tbsp pickling salt, sea salt or other kosher salt (not iodized table salt)1 tsp celery seed (this is the ONLY seasoning you'll add during the initial cook phase, before milling or straining)1/2 tsp garlic powder (or you can add 2 fresh cloves of chopped garlic with the onion and bell pepper)1/2 tsp paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper or chili powder (your choice)1/4 tsp ground clove1/4 tsp allspice or cardamomNOTE: Feel free to change or adjust the seasonings, but do not adjust the amount of tomatoes, onions, pepper or vinegar for canning safety. InstructionsPrepare the Tomatoes, Onions and PeppersWash the tomatoes and bell pepper well. If using a food mill, there is no need to peel the tomatoes – the skins will be removed by the mill. If using a sieve, you may want to blanch and peel the tomatoes first to make straining easier and extract more liquid, though not required.Core the tomatoes (as needed) and then roughly chop them into small-ish pieces. Add the prepped tomatoes to a large mixing bowl as you go, not to the pot. Dice the bell pepper and onions too. Those can go into the pot or a smaller separate bowl.Initial CookAdd the diced onion, bell pepper, and only about one-quarter of the prepared tomatoes to a large stockpot. Also add the chopped garlic cloves now, if you’re using fresh instead of powder. Cook them over medium-high heat until the veggies are soft, about 10 minutes. This gives the peppers and onions a chance to cook well before they’re inundated by tomatoes.Next, add the rest of the chopped tomatoes along with the celery seed to the pot.Bring to a light boil, and then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes with the lid off.  Stir occasionally.Remove from heat and let stand for about 10 to 20 minutes, allowing it to cool slightly – just enough to handle while straining. Strain with Food Mill or SievePosition your food mill or sieve over a large non-reactive mixing bowl.Working in batches, carefully ladle the cooked tomato mixture into the food mill or sieve and thoroughly strain it, catching and reserving the liquid in the bowl below. In our food mill, we find it’s helpful to turn the handle several times in one direction, then back the other direction for a turn or two to mix things up. In a sieve, stir and firmly press the mixture with the back of a large spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. You can either compost the collected solids, or save the skins to dry and turn into homemade tomato powder! Season and Final CookNow return the strained or milled tomato juice to the pot, and then add the called-for vinegar, sugar, spices, and cinnamon stick. (Remember that we already added the celery seed in the previous step.) Note the approximate volume or level in the pot. Return the mixture to a boil, then steadily simmer (uncovered) over medium-low heat until it reduces by at least one-half and has thickened nicely. This could take anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. (We’ve let ours simmer for over 90 minutes to achieve the desired consistency before). Keep in mind it will thicken slightly once it cools too. Stir regularly to ensure the sides and bottom don’t burn, especially as it gets thicker.Get your canning supplies ready and heat the water bath while the ketchup is cooking.Locate and remove the cinnamon stick once the ketchup is almost finished cooking.Canning InstructionsRemove from heat, and transfer the still-hot ketchup into hot sterilized canning jars with the assistance of a clean canning funnel. Leave 1/2-inch of head space. Remove air bubbles as needed using a bubble remover or small knife. Use a clean damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars clean before adding lidsAdd sterilized canning lids and rings. Screw on the rings to finger-tight only, not overly tight.Use a jar lifter to carefully transfer the jars to your pre-heated water bath canning pot, cover with a lid. The jars should be covered by 2 inches of water. Add more boiling water if needed. Once the canner returns to a rolling boil, process for 15 minutes. (To adjust for altitude, process 20 minutes at 1000-6000 feet above sea level, and 25 minutes at 6000+ feet.)When the time is up, remove the lid and turn off the heat, but let the jars sit in the canner for another 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a cooling rack. Leave jars undisturbed for at least 12 hours before checking seals. (Do not stack or press on the top of the lids.)Freezing TipsAllow the ketchup to cool to lukewarm in the pot before transferring it into freezer-safe containers of choice.Leave at least a half-inch to an inch of head space to allow for expansion as it freezes,You can also freeze ketchup in serving-size portions using silicone ice cube trays. Fill the trays, put them in the freezer overnight to solidify, then transfer frozen cubes into air-tight freezer bags or containers with lids for storage.Frozen ketchup will stay good in the freezer for about a year, though it’s best if used within 6 months.Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or for a few hours at room temperature.Storage and Shelf LifeStore canned, sealed jars in a cool dark location for 1 to 2 years – such as a pantry, cellar, or kitchen cabinets. For the best quality, use within one year.Once open, homemade ketchup should stay good in the refrigerator for one to two months, possibly longer.Signs of spoilage include mold growth, off odors or taste. Discard immediately if you suspect it has spoiled. The post Homemade Ketchup Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes (Canning or Freezer) appeared first on Homestead and Chill.