How to Make Ketchup
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By Tom Jackson
- Feb 26, 2021

Recipe Items
Chef Tom shares two unique recipes for How to Make Ketchup; Classic Ketchup made from canned tomatoes and Fire Roasted Habanero Ketchup with fresh tomatoes and a fiery kick!
Classic Ketchup & Fire Roasted Habanero Ketchup
Yield: 2 cups each
Ingredients
For the Classic Ketchup:
- 1 (28 oz) can Ciao Whole Peeled Italian Tomatoes
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp pickling spice
For the Fire Roasted Habanero Ketchup:
- 2 lb tomatoes
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 small yellow onion
- 1 tbsp Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 habanero peppers, chopped
- 1 tbsp pickling spice
Pickling Spice:
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp red chile flakes
- 1 tbsp allspice berries
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
- 1 tbsp juniper berries
- 1 tsp ground mace
- 1 small cinnamon stick, crushed
- 4 bay leaves, broken into pieces
Instructions
For the Pickling Spice:
Preheat a 12” Lodge cast iron skillet over medium heat. Toast the coriander, peppercorns and mustard seeds just until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Place the spices in a cloth napkin. Fold the napkin over the spices, and crack the spices by smashing them with a meat mallet, heavy skillet or rolling pin. Combine the toasted spices with the remaining spices. Store in a sealed container.
For the Classic Ketchup:
Combine the Ciao Whole Peeled Italian Tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, onion, Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt and garlic in the pitcher of the Vitamix Blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to an enameled dutch oven.
Place the pickling spice on cheesecloth. Wrap the cheesecloth around the pickling spice and tie with kitchen twine. Add the sachet of pickling spice to the sauce.
Bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened and reduced down to two cups.
Remove from the heat. Transfer the ketchup to a container and chill in the refrigerator.
For the Fire Roasted Habanero Ketchup:
Light a charcoal chimney starter filled with lump charcoal. Let burn until red-hot. Dump the chimney into the charcoal grate of the Yoder Smokers Adjustable Flat Top Charcoal Grill. Slide a cooking grate over the charcoal and raise the charcoal to the highest setting to get it as close to the grate as possible.
Place the whole tomatoes directly over the charcoal, as well as the onion quarter. Grill until charred on all sides. Remove from the grill.
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Place the charred tomatoes and onion in the pitcher of the Vitamix Blender, along with the vinegar, sugar, onion, Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, garlic and habaneros.
Blend until smooth. Transfer to an enameled dutch oven.
Place the pickling spice on cheesecloth. Wrap the cheesecloth around the pickling spice and tie with kitchen twine. Add the sachet of pickling spice to the sauce.
Bring the sauce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened and reduced down to two cups.
Remove from the heat. Transfer the ketchup to a container and chill in the refrigerator.