Homemade Ketchup

          Making ketchup at home using fresh tomatoes is a lot easier that most people might think. All you need besides the tomatoes is some onion & garlic, oil & vinegar, and some herbs and spices. If you can make spaghetti sauce, you can make your own ketchup. If you use fresh vine ripened  tomatoes in season, you will really taste the difference - even after adding all the sugar and vinegar. Turning fresh tomatoes into ketchup is a great way to preserve leftover tomatoes from your garden. This recipe is meant to go with the fish and chips recipe from my last post, but is also worth trying on burgers, eggs, or pretty much anything. For a spicy variation, you can try adding chili peppers. You can also experiment with heirloom varieties to give your ketchup a distinct homemade flavor.                                                                      

Start to finish 1 1/2 hour. Makes 1L ketchup.
Ingredients:

    6      large tomatoes , diced 

    1      cup  onion, diced

    3      cloves garlic, chopped

100ml  olive oil

100ml  red wine vinegar

150g    sugar

   1 tbs mustard seed,

1/2 tbs black peppercorns

    5      cloves, 

    1      spring fresh rosemary

1. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan, sweat the onions on medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking 2 minutes. 

2. Add the vinegar, tomatoes and sugar and let simmer for 1/2 hour.

3. Put the mustard seed, peppercorns, cloves and rosemary into a coffee filter and tie with string or a twist tie. Add the pouch of spices to the pot and let simmer for another 15 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
4. Transfer the sauce to the fridge and let cool for 30 minutes. 

5. Use a blender to purée the ketchup, and slowly incorporate 100ml olive oil while blending. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Transfer ketchup to a squeeze bottle and/or airtight jar. An open bottle of ketchup will keep for 2 to 3 weeks. Ketchup sealed in a sterilized airtight jar will keep for one year.