This simple condiment can breathe new life into your favorite foods, such as fries, chicken nuggets, burgers and ribs. This spicy ketchup recipe is bold, tangy and sweet at the same time. It adds a twist to your favorite dishes, whether you're grilling, dipping, marinating, or even stirring it into sauces.
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Making condiments at home
It's much easier than you think. At least some of them.
This ketchup from scratch is no exception. I'm a huge fan and have many good reasons for taking the time to make it:
- You know the ingredients that go into it.
- No preservatives or colorings.
- You can adjust the heat.
Use it just like you would the store-bought stuff. Add it to your array of condiments next time you have a barbecue or take it to a cookout, potluck or tailgating gathering.
It makes a great addition to our condiments & sauces section that keeps growing every year.
Steps to make ketchup
Chop + cook
You only need a saucepan to first cook the onion and garlic and then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Simmer
This step concentrates the flavor and is essential for a good condiment. Towards the end, stir frequently so the mixture does not scorch.
Drain
Use a fine-meshed sieve over a bowl. Check frequently until the ketchup is as thick as you want it.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- You can use any type of tomato. I like seasonal Roma tomatoes, but you can choose others. Some, like beefsteak tomatoes, have more water content and, in my opinion, make for a weaker sauce. But all palates are different, so adjust to your taste.
- Storage: keep it refrigerated in an airtight glass jar or container for a week or two. Check it before consuming. If you're into canning, go for it and enjoy this ketchup for months.
- How spicy can you make it? As hot as you like. Add more cayenne pepper and/or mustard seeds to increase the heat. But I don't recommend doing it from the start as it might be too much and the ketchup might end up being inedible. As you're simmering it at the end (to thicken), taste and adjust when about ¾ of the liquid is reduced.
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Homemade Spicy Ketchup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, or ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon celery seeds
Instructions
- Wash and dice 3 pounds tomatoes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ½ cup coarsely chopped yellow onion and 2 cloves garlic and cook for a few minutes until browned (but not burned), stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped tomatoes, 6 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¾ teaspoon cayenne powder ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ¼ teaspoon celery seeds.
- Return to the stove and cook on medium heat until it starts to boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20 minutes until the tomato is very soft, stirring occasionally.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the mix as smooth as you can get it. If you only have a regular blender, let the mixture cool down a little. I had issues with the blender jar due to adding very hot mixtures to it.
- Return to heat and cook over medium-low until reduced to desired thickness - about 1 hour, stirring occasionally (especially towards the end when there is little liquid left) to prevent scorching. The time depends a lot on the type of tomatoes used as some have more water content than others.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove tomato skins and store in sealed containers in the fridge.
- It keeps for up to 2 weeks.
David Scott Allen says
It is quite the coincidence that I am teaching a class on tomato recipes this Saturday and homemade ketchup is among my recipes. Ours are very different -- I need to try yours! (The spices are soooo different.)
Paula Montenegro says
It's so cool that you're teaching cooking classes David! As for the recipe, I'm always amazed how much the same dish can differ from one to the other.