I was so happy when I received my first blog assignment for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. I’m new to the group, hosted by Amanda at Amanda’s Cookin’, and have been looking forward to this event and to meeting new bloggers. Amanda’s concept is simple. Each month participants are assigned a blog of a participating blogger and instructed to chose any recipe and write a post about it. Our assignment is a secret and isn’t revealed until the day we publish our posts. I was thrilled when learned that my assigned blog this month is The Urban Baker and I had a difficult time deciding which of Susan’s many wonderful recipes to choose. I first thought her Blueberry Crumb Cake would be a good choice, or perhaps decadent Chocolate Lava Cakes would be the way to go, but when I saw Susan’s recipe for Homemade Ketchup I knew I found what I was looking for. My family likes ketchup, a lot, and as we get into tomato season I had been thinking that I would like to try a homemade version of one of our favorite condiments. I’m very happy I chose this recipe because it has so much more flavor than the bottled stuff and is delicious with meatloaf and schnitzel. I served it with hashbrowns and eggs and everybody loved it. I bet you will love it too.
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1-1/2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ⅛ teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2-1/4 pounds tomatoes, stem removed, chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 small hot chili peppers, stem and seeds removed, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- Combine cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, celery seeds, chili flakes and allspice in a layer of cheesecloth and tie into a little bundle.
- In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, sea salt, vinegar, sugar, onion, spice bundle and chopped chili peppers. Using a garlic press, squeeze the garlic into the saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, 35-45 minutes until tomatoes have broken up and onions are very soft.
- Puree the mixture in a blender. Press the mixture through a mesh strainer set over another saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 20-30 minutes. Taste for seasonings. You may want to add a little more salt or sugar.
- Let cool completely. Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.
I can’t say I won’t buy bottled ketchup in the future, but when I have vine ripened tomatoes and am looking for a delicious way to use them this is a recipe I will turn to. I used the same ingredients that Susan used in her recipe. I just assembled them a little differently. Although Susan strains her ingredientss after partial cooking I went ahead and peeled the tomatoes and removed some of the seeds before cooking. It just takes a minute to drop them into boiling water for a few seconds and then cool them off in a pan of ice water. When I tried to strain the mixture I found that my mesh strainer was too fine for the job and removed too much of the pulp so what I was left with was essentially tomato juice. Since I had removed the skins I just blended the mixture in my blender for a few more seconds and thought it was perfect. I like a little bit of texture to the sauce anyway. As Susan suggests, the seasoning can be adjusted after the mixture has cooked and at that time I added a little more sugar, salt and red pepper flakes because we like it a little spicy. No question about it, this recipe gets two thumbs up!
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{ 52 comments… read them below or add one }
The photos is great..this will be fun for you..
I really like how your recipes..in the box stand apart..Such a well done blog Cathy!
Monique recently posted..Soul Food #104
I must try this…it looks so fresh and inviting. I am thrilled SRC brought me to your blog. Beautiful!
This sounds great Cathy! I haven’t tried to make ketchup before, if I fall into some extra tomatoes I’ll give this a try:@)
I LOVE home-made ketchup and your photo captures it so perfectly!
I also LOVE the concept of the Secret Recipe Club ~ I have already asked to join, so we will see if I am successful or not!
Great post as always Cathy.
Karen
Sounds delicious! I have always wanted to make homemade ketchup. This was a great pick for SRC!!
Kristen recently posted..Asian Chicken Salad: Your Recipe, My Kitchen
Perfect timing! I have a huge bounty of tomatoes and was planning on looking for a homemade ketchup recipe. My search begins and ends right here. Yay!
I’m revealing a SRC recipe today, too. It’s so fun clicking on all of the recipe links in the SRC blog roll. Glad I found you!
Hi Cathy! So excited that you are my secret gal. I had to skip this month as I have a big event the beginning of September and I am bit overwhelmed and one dimensional! Your blog is beautiful and it is groups like this that bring us together to support, create, and cultivate friendships. I am glad you liked the ketchup and I love that you peeled and seeded your tomatoes. Good Call! I look forward to reading more of your blog as well as sharing many recipes together!
susan recently posted..Pizza Muffins – After School Snack Ideas
A great idea! I’m happy to have this recipe since I now have a lot of tomatoes begging to be “saved”. Now I’m off to check some of the other bloggers–especially the fish tacos.
Best,
Bonnie
Bonnie recently posted..Can He Bake A Cherry Pie?
What a fun concept! Great choice, too. Ketchup is a staple in our kitchen– though I rarely eat it. It’s a guy thing to slather ketchup on their eggs. I recoil in horror, but I got that from my German mom! Your new friends are lucky to have you on board.
Foodiewife recently posted..San Francisco Garlic Fries – Made Lite (Bon Appétit )
This is wonderful sounding! I will definitely try it. Now I wish someone had the secret recipe to make WS meatloaf started. Absolutely delicious but pricey!
Carol
Carol at Serendipity recently posted..So long Irene….
What an intersting post and a fun experience. I am surely going to look inot this in the fall. I hve made green chow chow(ketchup), reslish and pickles but this recipe looks and sounds to good. Fanastic photo Cathy.
Rita
Secret Recipe Club is a great idea! Maybe I’ll adapt it for travel blogging … whether I do or not, this recipe sounds terrific! Although we Aussies are boring, and would call it ‘tomato sauce’!
Red Nomad OZ recently posted..Only in OZ #17 – Ned Kelly Tribute, Jerilderie, NSW
I bet it tastes so much better than the bottled ketchup! It looks great (and so do your potato wedges!) Great job!!!
Erin @ Making Memories recently posted..Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
I’ve never thought to make my own ketchup! I don’t really like the bottled kind, but I think, given the ingredients here, I’d love this kind. I wonder how it would freeze…
Mindy recently posted..Kartoffelroulade, or Potato Roulade [Secret Recipe Club]
That looks so much better than store bought.
Ramona recently posted..Hay Time, play time
It hard to believe that you can improve on Heintz! I’m also not sure my DH would approve of me using up his precious fresh tomatoes for making ketchup. That said, if all the GREEN ones outside ripen at the same time, I’ll be BEGGING you for recipes & this one just might do.
What a fun idea for a meme…I’m off to check out the entrants.
Hugs,
Rett
Rettabug recently posted..Salad with Strawberries & Warm Bacon Salad Dressing ♪♫
Very nice Cathy- I’ve never considered making ketchup
Larry recently posted..It’s Just Like Riding A Bike
How cool! I am going to have to try this. Great SRC post!
Steph@PlainChicken.com recently posted..Almond Toffee Bars – Secret Recipe Club
This looks great Cathy ~ love your photo, very nice! And your blog format ~ I’m with Monique, the recipe set apart in the box is brilliant! Hope you’ve been having a nice summer, my friend. xoxo ~m.
Looks delicious…I tried making my own a few months back and I never could get it to thicken up at all.
I have a lot of tomatoes and I’ve been looking for a good ketchup recipe.
Mimi
Mimi recently posted..Orange Sherbet and Lime Ice Cream
Yum! Ketchup is on my list to can this year, but I want to try this recipe also. We are trying to cut out a lot of excess sugar and high fructose corn syrup. I can’t wait to grab some tomatoes and give this a go.
This month I made : Shaved Zucchini Salad for the SRC post
http://adventuresinallthingsfood.blogspot.com/2011/08/shaved-zucchini-summer-salad-recipe.html
Lordy, I don’t know how I can put myself on the same page as you…you are such an awesome cook…but wanted you to know I gave you a shout-out in my post today.
)
bj recently posted..My Silly Mama
sounds fabulous. I will have to try this.
Mona Thompson recently posted..Sunday Supper…Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Shrimp
My mom made homemade ketchup once and we detested it. Now, I would love to try to make it without all the corn syrup and preservatives. What did we kids know, anyway? Great SRC post.
Eliot recently posted..White Chocolate Oreo Brownies for Secret Recipe Club
What a fun idea and your pic of the ketchup looks wonderful. Joni
I am not surprised they chose you:) Running clubs like that you like to have quality posts;)
Love the salsa here;))
How cool is this – homemade ketchup. Sounds fabulous and I really, really like that it doesn’t have a lot of sugar in it. Store-bought ketchup is full of sugar. We’ve been buying the low sugar version and can’t tell the difference. Great idea Susan & Cathy.
Sam
My Carolina Kitchen recently posted..A Visit to the Biltmore Estate, Gardens, & Kitchens in Asheville, NC
Welcome to the SRC, it is so much fun! I’ve never thought to make homemade ketchup but this recipe looks wonderful, I’ll have to give it a try.
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my Group ‘A” ~ SRC recipe this month: Cilantro Lime Chicken
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Lisa~~ recently posted..Layered Crespelle with Bolognese, Fresh Mozzarella & Basil
Hi Cathy,
Something must have been changed on your blog since it is not updating anymore on my blog Have you changed domains? When I click onto your blog, from my blogroll, it says 2 months since your last update. And then in the url it says permanently changed, or something like that,. Hmmm. I am going to erase the old and reinsert this new address…..just to see.
Sounds just yummy! I am not a huge fan of ketsup, but this does look good.
Marilyn recently posted..Spirit Whispers
Oh the secret recipe club sounds like so much fun! Too bad I don’t have enough recipes on my blog yet to participate…. oh well, maybe someday. =]
What an awesome pick for SRC! I have always wanted to try home made ketchup. Just something about making it myself. There are a lot of things I’d still buy but love home made once I try them. Awesome post!
kita recently posted..Chicken Enchiladas a Secret Recipe
Cathy, Where you reading my mind again? I have recently been thinking of making homemade katsup and mustard. I’ll be putting my tomatoes to good use in this recipe!
Thanks!
Yvonne
Great recipe and post Cathy! I love the idea of homemade condiments. Thanks for sharing!
Cassie @ Bake Your Day recently posted..Pumpkin-Walnut Oatmeal Squares with Cinnamon Glaze
Ohhh I will have to try this recipe out… my daughter LOVES ketchup so much… (way too much)! At least I would know that she’s eating a home made version! Great idea!
My family is QUACKY about ketchup. It’s a little sickness really. And I’ve got a boatload of tomatoes. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks.
Well, I’m thrilled to have another ketchup recipe. I make my own, using canned tomatoes, in the winter when I make Tortiere, Delicious!
I haven’t made a tomato ketchup in a while, I’m saving this recipe!
This group sounds like so much fun….I am going to join once I have been up and running a few more months – can’t wait. My husband always tells me that his mom used to make homemade ketchup when he was young. How surprised would he be if I made this for him one day? I thought that all of the spices in this were interesting – cloves and allspice. I am curious to try this just to see the difference from the Heniz bottle:-). I can see us using this for special dishes like you had mentioned -meatloaf or homemade french fries.
Also – good tip on peeling the tomatoes ahead of time. I can see how you would end up with juice vs. pulp if you had to put it through a real fine strainer.
Becki@Becki’s Whole Life recently posted..Funfetti Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
It looks great, Cathy! I haven’t made ketchup yet this year so am happy to have this recipe! Thanks!
Cathy, so glad I found your site through SRC. Like you, Germany had an impact on me, I loved the markets, and I’m a biker chick also! Making homemade ketchup is a great way to use up tomatoes! I will have to give it a go sometime.
Rhonda recently posted..Secret Recipe Club: Southwestern Spring Rolls
Somehow I’ve never thought of making my own ketchup. Thanks for sharing, I’ll be trying this soon!
Jey @ The Jey of Cooking recently posted..Moroccan Stuffed Tomatoes.
How fun! I’ve never thought to make homemade ketchup – it looks and sounds wonderful.
Pam recently posted..Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast
Never even thought of making our own ketchup before, but now we are inspired. Great post!
Chris and Amy recently posted..Secret Recipe Club: Potato Parmesan Frittata Irene
I totally need to make homemade ketchup. I eat in on EVERYTHING, ok, maybe not on frozen yogurt, but on everything else
Julia recently posted..Dishpan Cookies
I was just at Kita’s site Pass the Sushi and read about this! I guess SRC is the new cool thing! Seriously though I think it’s a wonderful idea and a great way to try new things.
Jamie @ the unseasoned wok recently posted..Foodbuzz 24×24: Wok and Roll Your Own Sushi Party
Wauw, this is a must-try for me! Love our photo – great choice for SRC!
heidi recently posted..Opskrift: Blommemarmelade med vindruer og citron
My youngest son is a ketchup lover. I actually think he eats enough of it for it to be considered a vegetable.
I’d like to try this while tomatoes are still in season! 
Betty @ scrambled henfruit recently posted..Peach Confetti Salsa, and a Shake, Rattle and Roll!
Welcome to the SRC, Cathy! What a great first post!
I was so bummed when our tomato plants didn’t produce nearly as much as we thought they would, but then again, it was our first go-round with growing them during an Arizona summer. NOT a good idea or we at least should have shaded them. Oh well, in cooler weather we’ll have to try again.
I’m bookmarking this and being optimistic that I’ll be making it very soon with some fresh garden tomatoes!
You have convinced me, I must make some homemade ketchup! Awesome to be in the Secret Recipe Club with you. Here is my post for September
http://su.pr/1Sizv9
Also: I would love if you added this and any other links to my “Happy Post” today. http://su.pr/1bZ8fp
I am not big on store bough ketchup, but this really sounds good
Magic of Spice recently posted..What’s on the side? Baked Asparagus Fries