Homemade Ketchup From Fresh Tomatoes

Well, this morning I finally took it in hand to organize my deep freeze. Our local farmer is fattening a pig for us, and I need to make sure we’ve got plenty of room for all that porcine goodness, come butcher day. When I opened the freezer door it was apparent what had to happen – I MUST do something with all those end-of-the-season tomatoes I hastily shoveled into the freezer, back on the eve of our first hard frost. SO – looks like I’ll be making a big batch of  ketchup today!

Have you noticed that it’s devilishly hard to find a good paleo ketchup recipe that uses fresh tomatoes, rather than canned paste? Never one to re-invent the wheel, when I first started making ketchup this summer I tried quite a few recipes before realizing I simply needed to go back to the drawing board, and create my own. A bumper crop of tomatoes later, and I’ve got a version to share with you that I’m really happy with. It even passes muster with the mister (which is saying something, considering the lifelong love affair that man has with ketchup!)  Here it is:

“Real Deal” Paleo KETCHUP
One large onion (or two smallish ones)
7 large cloves garlic
20 whole cloves
25 whole allspice
2T coconut oil
Three quarts paste type tomatoes
 1/3 c. honey
2/3 c. apple cider vinegar (white works ok too)
1 t. coarsely ground sea salt

In a large stock pot, sauté onions, garlic, cloves and allspice in coconut oil, until onions and garlic are soft and getting translucent. Add everything else. Simmer till it gets thick, and seems close to ketchup consistency. Cool for a few minutes, then put it all through a food mill to remove seeds, skins, and spices. If it’s not quite thick enough, return to a simmer until you reach a nice ketchup texture. Now, using a wooden spoon, put it all through a fine mesh sieve. (This step is annoying, but worth it for a nice smooth final result.) for me, this makes just about exactly three cups.

A quick note about storage. I’ve seen some pretty adorable photos of people bottling their homemade ketchup in tall grolsch-style bottles…a la 1950’s Heintz. It’s adorable, and makes for a pretty click-worthy pinterest image, certainly. But why – for the love of all that is good – would we go back to those days of bottle-shaking, knife-sliding bondage? Do yourself a favor and put this nectar of the gods in a practical container, more like these sweet little weck jars. Something you can get a spatula into. Because believe me, once you make this, you won’t want any going to waste!

If you liked this post, you may enjoy these:

Best Tasting Heirloom Tomatoes

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes in a Dehydrator

How to Make Onion Powder

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