The Best Homemade Ketchup Recipe

Sick of buying ketchup at the store? Or maybe you just aren’t loving the store-bought kind, give this delicious homemade ketchup recipe a try. Homemade ketchup is so easy to make, and tastes amazing!

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How To Make Homemade Ketchup From Scratch

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1 How To Make Homemade Ketchup From Scratch

1.1 What Is The Difference Between Ketchup And Catsup?

1.1.1 Who Invented Ketchup?

1.2 Is Homemade Ketchup Better?

What Is The Difference Between Ketchup And Catsup?

Ketchup also called catsup arrived in recipes in the early 1800s as a delicious tomato-based condiment with vinegar and spices. Long story short the only difference is the name, they both are that thick tomato sauce we know and love here in the USA.

Who Invented Ketchup?

Ketchup was invented by Henry John Heinz, in 1876. Heinz invented ketchup by adapting a Chinese recipe for so-called Cat Sup, a thick sauce made from tomatoes, special seasoning, and starch.

Is Homemade Ketchup Better?

The debate for which one is better is best decided by you. Now I will be the first to admit that companies like Hunts or Heinz have created a delicious product, but now that I’ve had homemade ketchup? Not going back for anything. I love everything about our homemade ketchup recipe, and it’s so easy to adjust for those with allergies.

What You Need To Make Homemade Ketchup

To make this ketchup recipe you are going to need:

Homemade Ketchup Recipe

Now that you’ve got your supplies let’s get on to the recipe, to make this homemade ketchup recipe you’re going to need:

Ingredients:

6 oz Tomato Paste

1/2 Cup + 1/8 cup if you like it sweeter of Raw honey, regular (not high fructose Corn Syrup) Corn syrup

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/2 Cup white vinegar

1/4 Cup water

1 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon onion powder

1/2 Teaspoons garlic powder

Directions:

Whisk ingredients together and bring your ketchup to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Remove your ketchup from the heat and allow to cool covered with a lid. *if you were going to can it skip this step and go ahead and pour the ketchup into your canning jars.

Bottle your ketchup and refrigerate.

This recipe makes 1 pint of ketchup, or 2 1/2 pints.

How To Can Your Ketchup

Wash 2 half-pint Ball canning jars. Sterilize them with hot water and warm up the flat lids to seal them.
Fill up your canning pot with enough water to cover your ½ pint jars by 2”. Heat the water.
Heat the ketchup in your pan and ladle it into the hot jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.
Wipe the rims of your jars with a lint free cloth dipped in vinegar.
Place the flat lids and the rings on the jars tightening until just tight
Place the jars on the rack in a boiling water canner and process for 15 minutes.
Remove jars to several layers of towels on the counter to cool
Let the jars sit for 24 hours
Label and date the jars and store in a dry, cool, dark place.

To Steam Can Ketchup

Follow the directions of your steam canner.

Put water in your steam canner up to the bottom of the rack.

Start heating your canner.

Ladle hot ketchup into hot and sterile ½ pint canning jars

Wipe the jars rims with a lint free cloth dipped in vinegar.

Place the flad lids on the jars and follow with the rims.

Screw on the lids until just tight

Place jars on the rack in your canner and put on the lid.

Watch the dial readout until the canner gets to the level for your area.

Process for 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes to cool.

Remove jars with a canning jar grabber to several layers of towels to cool. Allow to remain for 24 hours undisturbed. Label the jars with what it is and when it was canned.

If any jars did not process then place them in the refrigerator or reprocess with a new lid.

How Long Does Homemade Ketchup Last

Homemade Ketchup will last about three weeks in your refrigerator, or you can make a big batch and can it for later. This is our favorite way to make ketchup so we don’t have to keep making it every few weeks.

Before you go check out these other preserving and canning recipes:

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Canning And Preserving Videos:

The Best Homemade Ketchup Recipe - (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth making homemade ketchup? ›

TASTINESS AND HEALTHFULNESS

Heinz and many commercial ketchups also contain high fructose corn syrup, though HFCS-free versions have been making their way into the market. If this is something you prefer to avoid, making ketchup yourself is a sure bet for getting what you want.

Find Out More ›

What ingredient is very high in ketchup? ›

Water is a large part of ketchup, due to it being 80% of the composition of distilled vinegar.

Tell Me More ›

What are the secret spices in Heinz ketchup? ›

The tangy-sweet sauce contains vinegar, onions, garlic, some kind of sweetener, and seasonings like mustard powder, cumin, allspice and cinnamon. However, if you were to make a batch at home with those ingredients, your ketchup still probably wouldn't taste like the stuff you get at the diner.

See Details ›

How long does homemade ketchup last? ›

Pack and Store Your Homemade Ketchup

Ketchup will keep 3 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer. Ketchup can also be water bath canned using the hot pack method. Leave 1/4” headspace and process the 1/2 pint jars for 15 minutes.

What is an unhealthy ingredient in ketchup? ›

Two ingredients of concern in ketchup are salt and sugar. Per tablespoon, ketchup contains 4 grams of sugar and 190 milligrams of sodium. Although 4 grams of sugar doesn't seem like a lot, much of it comes from added sugar, as opposed to the natural sugar found in tomatoes.

Does homemade ketchup need to be refrigerated? ›

Homemade ketchup, on the other hand, should always be refrigerated, as it doesn't contain stabilizing properties and thus goes bad much more quickly than commercial varieties.

Learn More ›

Why avoid Heinz tomato ketchup? ›

It contains high quantities of sugar, salt, fructose, preservatives and corn syrup. All of these ingredients when combined together have an adverse effect on the body.

View Details ›

Is there a difference between ketchup and catsup? ›

As it turns out, they're the same thing!

The condiment made its way west via European merchants, taking with it Westernized pronunciations. Early recipes for ketchup (or catsup, if you like) incorporated a wide variety of ingredients like mushrooms, walnuts, and shellfish (hence the distinction tomato ketchup).

Keep Reading ›

What does the 57 mean on Heinz sauce? ›

He later claimed he was inspired by an advertisem*nt he saw while riding an elevated train in New York City (a shoe store boasting "21 styles"). The reason for "57" is unclear. Heinz said he chose "5" because it was his lucky number and the number "7" was his wife's lucky number.

Do you really have to refrigerate ketchup after opening? ›

Unless you're a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.

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How do you increase the shelf life of ketchup? ›

To extend the shelf life of ketchup, it needs to be pasteurized. In case of continuous ketchup manufacturing line, this is usually done in a heat exchanger which is fed by a continuous flow of product. After pasteurization, ketchup needs a holding time for a certain amount of time to kill the bacteria.

Learn More ›

Is it better to make your own tomato sauce? ›

The one area where homemade tomato sauce really shines, however, is in the flavor department. Even when using canned tomatoes instead of garden-fresh ones, a homemade tomato sauce made with onions I sautéed myself and spices from my cupboard always tastes richer and more balanced to me than what comes from a jar.

Does organic ketchup taste the same as regular ketchup? ›

And if it even needs to be said, organic ketchup tastes the same! Happy grilling season, everyone!

Explore More ›

How long does natural ketchup last? ›

Unopened ketchup will last for about a year in the pantry. Opened bottles of ketchup, however, have a much shorter shelf life: About six months if stored in the fridge and a month or so if stored in the cupboard.

Know More ›

Is homemade sauce better than store-bought? ›

Homemade sauce offers the advantages of quality control, customization, and fresh ingredients, but it requires time and effort. Store-bought sauce provides convenience and consistency, yet you may need to accept compromises in terms of ingredients and cost. You might also consider combining both approaches.