Old-Fashioned Homemade Tomato Ketchup

According to Wikipedia, the origin of ketchup begin in China. Gradually, over time, ketchup made its way west, finally reaching the Americas. As early as 1801 there were documented recipes for ketchup. Today, in the United States, the ketchup industry is dominated by Hunts and Heinz. However, homemade ketchup tastes better and uses real brown sugar, not a combination of fructose corn syrups. This recipe makes about 2 cups of ketchup.

Ingredients

• 10-12 Roma tomatoes, peeled or one 28-oz can whole tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2T olive oil
• 1T tomato paste
• 1/2C apple cider vinegar
• 1/4C brown sugar (packed)
• 1/2t salt

Directions

1. Place tomatoes (including juice if using canned tomatoes) in blender and blend until juice consistency.
2. In a 4-quart pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent.
3. Add other ingredients to onions and mix to combine.
4. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for one hour, stirring frequently.
5. Place mixture in blender and blend until smooth.
6. Pour into a bottle and cool. An empty Snapple bottle works perfectly!

Douglas G Pratt, 2014