Homemade Ketchup/Catsup

[thelufias]

hi5-3:  Like I said....I love the stuff on food.  On Chicken it's a gem...helps brown the chicken and gives it flavor to boot.

[Jherrith]

Again, thank you Skhilled! Ways to cut costs and circumvent the crap full of preservatives and who knows what else these days is always welcome.

Indeed there be enough of that rubbish to fill several books .... right!

[thelufias]

Exactly.....   

[sidherose]

Again, thank you Skhilled! Ways to cut costs and circumvent the crap full of preservatives and who knows what else these days is always welcome.

[thelufias]

Paprika is good in everything LOL....I buy it by the bulk and use it in everything that I can....

[Jherrith]

Snicker we like so very much .. and these alternatives ... or shall we say "tweaks" sounding good.

[Jherrith]

Oh hell yes, this works doing the copy and paste.

[Skhilled]

It is surprisingly good. :)

[thelufias]

Pretty neat....I've got time now so who knows  LOLOLOL

[Skhilled]

Making your own ketchup is a lot easier than you'd think. It will also NOT contain a lot of the salt, sugars, preservatives, etc. and can be made at a fraction of the cost of store bought ones. Heinz, etc. sell for about $3 for a small 12oz bottle. This homemade recipe will cost about1/3 of the cost  for 12 ounces and can be doubled easily!

Ingredients:
6 ounce can tomato paste
1/4 to 1/3 cup tap water (depending on desired consistency, I like it with 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:
In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape the mixture into a pint-sized, resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use wherever ketchup is desired.

You can also simmer this in a pot over the stove to blend the flavors faster. Just make sure to cool it well before storing in the fridge.

Tips:
To reduce the sodium content simply omit the salt. You can also use Hunt's No-Salt Tomato Paste.

To reduce the sugar content replace the brown sugar with 1-teaspoon molasses and 1/4 cup granulated Splenda.

You can use white vinegar (tart) or apple cider vinegar (sweeter).

Use your own judgment for the taste and adjust as needed.

You can use fresh tomatoes and herbs but that is for another recipe.

Enjoy!