#2484 - Homemade Ketchup

(by Shirley McNevich)

(use this ketchup in baked beans, sloppy joes, bbq sauce, pasta sauce, etc.)

4 quarts tomato juice (explained below)
1 peck of ripe tomatoes
2 heaping cups white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 TBSP pickling spices
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 TBSP salt
4 1/2 TBSP cornstarch

Wash the tomatoes in cold water and put them in a large pot. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes until all of the tomatoes are covered. Once covered, let the tomatoes stand for 5 minutes. Pour the water off of the tomatoes. Cover the tomatoes with cold water. Remove one tomato at a time, core the tomato, remove the skin, cut the tomato into quarters and place the tomato quarters into a Dutch oven. Repeat with all tomatoes. Place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat--cook uncovered for 20 minutes until tomatoes are soft and falling apart--stir occasionally. Place some of the tomato mixture into a Foley food mill or a strainer in order to remove the seeds. Repeat with all tomato mixture. Place a separate container underneath to catch the tomato mixture--the food mill will catch the seeds. Discard the seeds. Place the tomato juice mixture into a large granite pot--it should make at least 4 quarts of tomato juice. Add the white sugar, pickling spices, vinegar, dry mustard and salt--put the granite pot on the stove over medium heat. Stir/bring to a boil, then boil the mixture for 2 hours (stirring occasionally). In a small bowl add the cornstarch--using a ladle, dip one ladle of the tomato mixture into the cornstarch--stir until mixed. Add the cornstarch mixture to the tomato mixture--stir until mixed, then cook/stir until boiling again. Once boiling, cook/stir for 5 minutes. Use canning jars/lids to preserve the ketchup.