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I had an abundance of tomatoes and needed ideas on how to preserve them. I've already canned tomato sauce, salsa, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes - pretty much all but dried them!
After much research, the recipes show standing at the stove, stirring the pot for 4 to 6 hours - that's a nope from me!
So I went about creating my own recipe, ensuring the acidic levels were maintained at the correct levels according to the NCHFP. I processed the tomatoes as I would have made sauce, while I was sleeping!
Tonie gives it two thumbs and two toes up. It was the first time we had ever tasted homemade ketchup.
🍅 🧅 🧄🧂🌶
Makes about 12 pints
Ingredients:
Twenty-seven pounds of fresh tomatoes - I used a mix of Bonnie's Best Heirloom, Roma Tomatoes, and Black Strawberry Tomatoes. Weigh the tomatoes after they are cored and quartered.
Spice Bag:
2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
2 tsp celery seeds
5 allspice berries
3 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Cayenne pepper powder
2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 medium onions, diced (about 3 cups) - Next time, use sweet onions and reduce the sugar to 1 cup.
5 garlic cloves, minced
Equipment:
Roaster Oven
Cheesecloth and twine
Victorio strainer
Large bowl
Blender
Large Stainless Steel Pot
Splatter screen (optional)
Steam canner
Canning jars, lids, and rings - sterilized
Overnight prep: Core and quarter the tomatoes (takes about an hour) and place them in the roaster oven (coated with non-stick spray) at 450°F, covered with the lid, for about 8 hours. There is no need to core the Roma or Strawberry tomatoes. At about 30 minutes into the roast, stir the tomatoes to remove the charred ones from the sides of the roaster. Try not to scrape too hard. 
The next morning, add the celery seeds, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to the cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth with twine to secure the spices in place. In a stainless steel pot, add 3 cups of white vinegar and the spice bag, ensuring the spice bag is submerged. Bring to a boil. Then turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
Process the tomatoes through the Victorio strainer to separate the pulp from the seeds and peelings, pouring the pulp into a large bowl. Process the peelings and seeds through the strainer again to extract as much pulp as possible from your tomatoes.
In a small pan, sauté the onions until they are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Pour onions into the large bowl with pulp.
Pour a small amount of the seasoned vinegar into the pan to deglaze. Add the deglazing vinegar to the large bowl with the pulp.
In a large bowl, combine the tomato pulp, seasoned vinegar, apple cider vinegar, onion, garlic, black pepper, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, sugar, garlic powder, and salt. Discard the spice bag.
Process the pulp in batches in the blender until smooth.
Pour the blended pulp mixture into the stainless steel pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes for the flavors to meld. Set a spoonful aside to cool for a taste test. It tastes different when hot and cold.
Continue simmering until the ketchup reaches the desired thickness. I only cooked mine for an additional 30 minutes.
Prepare the steam canner on the stove with water and a splash of white vinegar.
Process lids in boiling water for 1 minute. Ladle hot ketchup into pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe rim. Screw on the ring until it is finger-tight.
Place jars into the steam canner and process for 15 minutes.
Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a mat to cool as you process the remaining jars.
Enjoy!
