Ketchup Problem

[coradean]

Hi There, I just made a batch of tomato ketchup using tomatoes from my garden. All was looking and smelling great and just as I was nearly done, I realised that I had forgot to include the vinegar I added it and then cooked it for another 20 minutes. Now it has a strong vinegar flavour. Does anyone know how I can fix this?

 

[merstar]

Assuming there's already some sugar in this, just add a little more, a small amount at a time until it's to your taste. If that doesn't work, you may have to make a whole new batch, minus the vinegar, and then add it to the old batch.

 

[MoodyBlueFoodie]

maybe cook it some more, it will be thicker, but tomatoes are always better cooked longer.

 

[justplainbill]

Taking a clue from how the vinegary taste of Tabasco dissipates when cooked , I'd cook your ketchup down a bit more and add some water and / or sugar to achieve the desired consistency and flavor.

 

[coradean]

Thanks all for your help. I suspected cooking it more and adding more sugar would be the way to go but as I am very new to preserving I just wanted to be sure. I will try it and let you know how i go. BTW I love this site. Thanks again.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

How does your ketchup normally turn out? I am very curious as I LOVE ketchup and have thought about making it myself.

 

[coradean]

This is the first time I have made it. We don't actually call it ketchup in Australia but I thought it would be confusing to call it 'tomato sauce' as we do (or 'dead horse' in rhyming slang!) because people might think I mean pasta tomato sauce. So I'm not sure if there are differences between Ketchup and the Aussie tomato sauce. The batch has come out really nice apart from the vinegar taste, which I will try to fix tonight after work. Would you like the recipe? It was dead easy to make.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Yes, my Aussie friends are often misunderstood on that front. Ketchup = Aussie tomato sauce.

 

[cmarchibald]

Has someone posted a recipe for homemade ketchup here? I would really like to start making my own sauces and get away from the store brands. Would appreciate some recipes from anyone willing to share!

 

[mcnerd]

Easy Ketchup

1 Can Tomato Paste, (8 oz.)
1/8 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Onion Salt
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
2 Tbs Honey, or Maple Syrup

1. Bring to boil, pour in clean jars and refrigerate. You may want to experiment with more sweetener or spice to your own taste.

----------------------------------------------
Easier Ketchup

1 cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs Vinegar
dash Salt

1. Blend well, add dash of salt

 

[cmarchibald]

Thanks!

 

[bigdaddy3k]

I am excited to try these! I freakin LOVE ketchup.

 

[LPBeier]

I am excited to try these! I freakin LOVE ketchup.

Well BD on that front we agree to differ! I had a severe allergy to tomatoes, cooked or raw, when I was young and wasn't allowed to have ketchup, spaghetti sauce, etc. I grew out of the allergy and eat some tomatoes but never developed a taste for ketchup. Dad and DH go through bottles of the stuff on hot dogs, hamburgers, fries, meatloaf, but I don't touch the stuff! I can't even stand the smell.

 

[mcnerd]

And if you don't mind the use of corn syrup, you can try:

Heinz® Ketchup

1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth.

2. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.

3. Remove pan from heat and cover until cool.

4. Chill and store in a covered container.

Yield: 1.5 cups

 

[cmarchibald]

Mcnerd, what if I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomato paste? Any suggestions?

 

[mcnerd]

You would not end up with Ketchup by using fresh tomatoes.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Heinz!

Sorry LB I would wear it as cologne if it wasn't for the shirt stains.

 

[cmarchibald]

You would not end up with Ketchup by using fresh tomatoes.

Then....dare I ask.....what is tomato paste made of?

Sorry if it sounded like an ignorant question. What I meant was if I wanted to make it completely from scratch, do you have any suggestions on how to replicate the tomato paste?

 

[Andy M.]

Making ketchup from fresh tomatoes is certainly possible. The process is just much longer than if you use paste. After all, someone used fresh tomatoes to make the paste. It's all about cooking the tomato down, down, down until most of the liquid is gone and you are left with a paste.

 

[mcnerd]

I totally agree that you could start from scratch, which might relate to starting with a cow when you have a recipe for grilling a steak, since there's a lot of extra steps you would need to take before getting to the stage when you could actually perform the steps of the recipe.

Here is a link describing true Tomato Paste and how/where it is made.
Tomato paste - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is a recipe for making your own, but I have not tried it nor compared it to the commercial version:

Tomato Paste

Tomato paste lends depth and flavor to many dishes.

5 lbs plum tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
Kosher salt, to taste

1. 1. Heat oven to 300°. Roughly chop tomatoes. Heat 1?4 cup of the oil in a 12" skillet over high heat. Add tomatoes and season lightly with salt; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until very soft, about 8 minutes.

2. 2. Pass the tomatoes through the finest plate of a food mill, pushing as much of the pulp through the sieve as possible, leaving the seeds behind.

3. 3. Rub a rimmed 13" x 18" baking sheet with remaining 2 tbsp. of oil; spread tomato purée evenly over sheet. Bake, using a spatula to turn the purée over on itself occasionally, until most of the water evaporates and the surface darkens, about 3 hours. Reduce heat to 250°; cook until thick and brick colored, 20?25 minutes.

4. 4. Store sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month, or freeze, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to 6 months.

Yield: 1 cup