Spicy Homemade Ketchup

Make your own ketchup?? Yes, it is time consuming to make it yourself, but it really is nothing like the commercial stuff. (If you're looking for this to taste like Hunts or Heinz, this recipe is not for you.)

Homemade ketchup is a wonderful condiment, that you may even be tempted to eat right out of the jar. Last year, when I made this yummy ketchup, my 86-year-old mom went through the jar in less than one week!

If you decide that you'd like to try your hand at making ketchup, be sure to allow enough time. You'll need to be in and out of the kitchen, stirring the pot, for almost two hours.

Spicy Homemade Ketchup

2-3T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8t red pepper, or to taste
1/8t ground allspice
1/8t ground cloves
3/4t salt
1/4t fresh ground pepper
7C chopped tomatoes -- seeded and skinned (it's fine if a lot of the 7C is juice, after seeding tomatoes)
3/4C sugar
3T molasses
2T tomato paste
1/2C fresh lemon juice

Saute onions in olive oil in large pan. When soft, add garlic and red pepper, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute. Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly. Simmer, stirring occasionally, around 2 hours, or until mixture thickens and is reduced to around two cups. (As it gets thicker keep a closer eye on the ketchup, stirring more frequently, and possibly turning down the heat a bit to avoid scorching.) Taste for seasoning as well as sweetness. (Cook a bit longer, if you add additional sugar, until it is fully dissolved.)

Store in the fridge for use within two weeks or so. Can also be successfully frozen for up to 6 months.