You say ketchup, I saw catsup

Sunday, September 30, 2007

The table on my back patio was a sea of red as far as the eye could see.  Or, at least as much as the table would allow.  Tomatoes!  Tomatoes from my garden, tomatoes from the CSA share.  Too many tomatoes!

You know, maybe next year I’ll learn my lesson and plant a few less tomato plants.

I have made tomatoes in every conceivable way this year - sauce to salsa to dried tomatoes.  But I have not made catsup.  Until yesterday, that is.  Now I can say that I’m a catsup-making fool.

Nearly 12 pounds of tomatoes gave me two pints of ketchup.  It’s a good amount for our house - I barely eat catsup on anything, whereas my husband eats it pretty often.  After our current bottle of store bought catsup runs out, I think two pints of catsup should last us awhile.

Here’s how to make it:
4 pounds tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup vinegar

Peel tomatoes, then drop 2 or 3 tomatoes at a time into boiling water. Leave them in the water for a minute, or until the skins begin to split. Remove them to a bowl until they are cool enough to handle. Peel and chop the tomatoes, making sure to catch all the juices. Simmer tomatoes and onion in a heavy saucepan until tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree the tomato-onion mixture in a food processor and return to saucepan [if you really want that uber-smooth consistency, run the puree through a food mill before returning to the saucepan]. Add spices and vinegar and simmer on low heat, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring frequently.

Spoon into jars and process in a water bath for 35 minutes.