By ShowMeStepByStepPublished
Based on a video by In The Kitchen With Matt.
Store-bought ketchup is fine, but making your own means you control the sweetness, the tang, and what actually goes in the bottle. This version skips fresh tomatoes entirely and starts with tomato paste, so it comes together fast.
Matt from In The Kitchen With Matt walks through the whole thing in one pot. You whisk everything together, let it simmer until it thickens, then pour it into a jar. Adjust the vinegar up for a sharper, tangier ketchup or dial it back if you like it mellow.
You end up with about a jar and a half of glossy red ketchup that tastes like the real thing. Keep it in the fridge and use it on fries, burgers, or anything that needs a dip.
Get your ingredients ready before the pot goes on the stove. You need tomato paste, water, white distilled vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and a liquid sweetener like corn syrup, agave, or honey. Measure the spices into small bowls so you can add them fast. Having it all laid out means you are not scrambling once things start cooking.
Tip
Use 1 cup of vinegar if you want a sharp, tangy ketchup or drop to 1/2 cup for a mellower flavor.
Add the water and the vinegar to the sauce pot. This liquid base is what loosens the thick tomato paste and gives the ketchup its tang. Keep your spatula handy for the next step. There is no need to heat the pot yet - you want everything combined before it hits the burner.
Spoon all 12 ounces of tomato paste into the pot. This is the backbone of the whole recipe, so scrape the can clean. It will sit in a thick clump at first. Do not worry about mixing it in perfectly right now - you will whisk it smooth once the rest of the seasonings are in.
Add the salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and your sweetener right on top of the paste. Now whisk everything together hard until the mixture is smooth and one even color. Take your time here. Any dry pockets of spice or lumps of paste should be gone before you turn on the heat, so the flavor is consistent in every bite.
Tip
Taste before cooking and add the optional 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar if you like a sweeter ketchup.
Set the pot over medium heat and stir as it warms up. You are looking for a gentle bubbling simmer, not a hard boil. Ketchup spits when it gets too hot, so keep the heat moderate. Stir every minute or so to keep the bottom from scorching. The mixture will start out thin and loose.
Let it simmer for around 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often. The ketchup slowly reduces and turns thick and glossy. You will know it is ready when a spatula dragged across the bottom leaves a clean trail for a second before the sauce flows back. If it still looks watery, give it more time.
Tip
The ketchup thickens a bit more as it cools in the fridge, so stop just shy of the texture you want.
Once the ketchup is thick, pour it into a clean mason jar or an empty squeeze bottle. A funnel keeps things tidy if you are filling a bottle with a narrow neck. Let it cool a little before you seal the lid. This batch makes roughly a jar and a half.
Pop the jar in the fridge and let it chill for a few hours. Cold ketchup firms up and the flavors settle in. It keeps for a couple of weeks refrigerated. Spoon it onto burgers, use it as a fry dip, or stir it into your favorite sauces. Homemade ketchup, done.
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