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Once you start making your own ketchup, you’ll realize just how much sugar and high fructose corn syrup they’re dumping into some of these brands. At first, I really missed my store bought ketchup but now that I’ve been making my own for several years, I’ll never go back. It’s too sweet! This recipe is made with fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, and I let it cook down in my slow cooker so it’s hands off cooking, spiced to taste, and thickened with a little clear jel or thermflo to get that perfect consistency like the store brands.

You can either choose to buy the tomato paste or make your own, which is easy, but kinda time consuming, but so is opening enough tiny tomato paste cans to have enough for this recipe unless you’re lucky to find a #10 can in the wild like me. If I have the patience and a glut of tomatoes to do it, I will make the tomato paste first in my slow cooker and then add the remaining ingredients to cook down the ketchup. Your choice and no shame in the game!

In This Post You'll Find...

Rebel Canning

This recipe can be considered rebel canning. This means this exact recipe is not a tested recipe and has not been evaluated nor approved by the USDA or NCHFP. Does the mean this recipe is unsafe? Sure doesn’t, as its one I and many others use and consume. What it does mean is as with any home canning, you should can at your own risk and use common sense.

Make your own decisions because what I do and say I’m doing in my own home should not affect what you do in yours. If you are not comfortable with rebel canning, please don’t follow this recipe. In the end, you will have canned something you are afraid of and you will not eat it or use it and you will have essentially wasted your time and money. The acidity of the tomatoes plus the amount of vinegar makes this recipe well below the pH needed to safely process food via water bath.

Let’s make the perfect homemade ketchup!

Equipment You Might Want:

slow cooker
food mill
pint or smaller canning jars
lids & screw bands
jar funnel
jar lifter
steam canner
water bath canning pot

Ingredient List:

22 pounds tomatoes
4 cups white 5% vinegar
1 cup raw unrefined sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 Tablespoons salt
1 large onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
46 ounces tomato paste (about 6 cups)
1/3 cup cook type clear jel

Step 1: Prep

Using paste type tomatoes preferably, wash around 22 pounds of ripe tomatoes with cool water. Slice into halves or quarts and place them skin side up on a baking sheet. Cook under the broiler for a few minutes until the skins are blistered and the tomatoes smell roasted. Remove from oven to cool slightly.

Run tomatoes through a food mill or food strainer attachment for your stand mixer or hand crank strainer to remove seeds and skins. I run the tomato sauce directly into the insert of my slow cooker.

Step 2: Cook

Add the strained tomato juice and minced onion to the insert of your slow cooker. Place slow cooker on HIGH with the lid cocked to let the steam escape. Once the juice is simmering gently, completely remove the lid. Stir this frequently to prevent burning.

Once the tomato juice is reduced by half, add in the rest of the ingredients except the clear jel: vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, and tomato paste. Turn slow cooker to LOW and allow to cook, uncovered, for about 8 hours or overnight. Simmering time varies with the water content of your tomatoes and your slow cooker.

The next morning, using an immersion blender, blend the tomato mixture until it’s smooth to get rid of the onion chunks.

Remove 1 cup of the tomato sauce and and allow to cool slightly. Stir in clear jel. Add to the ketchup mixture and store thoroughly. Continue to cook on low until the ketchup is to the thick consistency you prefer, like the consistency of commercial ketchup. I have always had to add the clear jel because it never quite gets that consistency without it. It’s more like a pasta sauce. If you’re okay with that, you can absolutely leave the thickener out!

Step 3: Canning

While you wait on the ketchup to thicken, wash pint or half pints canning jars and new lids in hot soapy water, rinse well, and set aside on a clean towel for filling.

Ladle hot ketchup into prepared jars to 1 inch headspace (I know tomatoes are 1/2 inch headspace, but we added clear jel and it can grow with the canning process so I just leave extra).

Wipe rim and center lid on top and secure with screw bands.

Place jars in hot water bath canner or steam canner and process for 10 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.

Once processing time is complete, remove jars from canner to a heat proof surface lined with a clean towel and allow to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.

Step 4: Storage

After cooling time, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine, just be sure jars aren’t exposed to extreme temperatures.

Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed.

Shelf life is ’til you eat it. If the seal is good, it’s good. Aim to rotate canned foods out every 2 years, but they’ll last longer than that if needed.

Notes:

Sub minced fresh onion with 1 Tablespoon of onion powder.

Feel free to add any other dried spices you enjoy with your ketchup.

If you want to cook this on the stove top, go right ahead, it is a bit faster. Follow the same steps and use a large pot over medium heat.

I hope you enjoy this large batch recipe to make your own homemade ketchup. I don’t just use this for dipping french fries either! This ketchup recipe is the base of a lot of recipes I share on this recipe. You’ll find it linked a bunch.

Homemade Tomato Ketchup Water Bath Canning Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 12

Canning Time: 10

Total Time: 12 35

Servings: pints

Author: Ruby – Red Feather Farm

Equipment

slow cooker
food mill
pint or smaller canning jars
Lids & Screw Bands
jar funnel
jar lifter
steam canner
Water bath canning pot

Ingredients

22 pounds tomatoes
4 cups white 5% vinegar
1 cup raw unrefined sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4-5 Tablespoons salt
1 large onion minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
46 ounces tomato paste about 6 cups
1/3 cup cook type clear jel

Instructions

Wash around 22 pounds of ripe tomatoes with cool water. Slice into halves or quarts and place them skin side up on a baking sheet. Cook under the broiler for a few minutes until the skins are blistered and the tomatoes smell roasted. Remove from oven to cool slightly.
Run tomatoes through a food mill or food strainer attachment for your stand mixer or hand crank strainer to remove seeds and skins.
Add the strained tomato juice and minced onion to the insert of your slow cooker. Place slow cooker on HIGH with the lid cocked to let the steam escape. Once the juice is simmering gently, completely remove the lid. Stir this frequently to prevent burning.
Once the tomato juice is reduced by half, add in the rest of the ingredients except the clear jel: vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, and tomato paste.
Turn slow cooker to LOW and allow to cook, uncovered, for about 8 hours or overnight. Simmering time varies with the water content of your tomatoes and your slow cooker.
The next morning, using an immersion blender, blend the tomato mixture until it's smooth to get rid of the onion chunks.
Remove 1 cup of the tomato sauce and and allow to cool slightly. Stir in clear jel. Add to the ketchup mixture and store thoroughly.
Continue to cook on low until the ketchup is to the thick consistency you prefer, like the consistency of commercial ketchup.
Wash pint or half pints canning jars and new lids in hot soapy water, rinse well, and set aside on a clean towel for filling.
Ladle hot ketchup into prepared jars to 1 inch headspace.
Wipe rim and center lid on top and secure with screw bands.
Place jars in hot water bath canner or steam canner and process for 10 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.
Once processing time is complete, remove jars from canner to a heat proof surface lined with a clean towel and allow to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
After cooling time, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine, just be sure jars aren't exposed to extreme temperatures.
Any jars that did not seal can be reprocessed.
Shelf life is 'til you eat it. If the seal is good, it's good. Aim to rotate canned foods out every 2 years, but they'll last longer than that if needed.

Notes