Whaaaat!? Look at us just living summer like it ain’t no thing. First we make our own buns and now we make our own condiments!?
Our summer selves are amazing. Our summer selves deserve high-fives and extra marshmallows on our s’mores. Speaking of s’mores… you should totally make these Toasted Marshmallow Squares for the upcoming holiday weekend… not that I’m being bossy or anything.
Let’s talk about ketchup! It’s pleasingly easy to make. If you can chop an onion and if you like to simmer the heck out of canned tomato and spices, this is totally up your alley.
Just adding to your summer bragging rights list! No big deal.
In some ways it feels like it takes ketchup to make ketchup.
That’s almost true.
It takes various tomato products along with a major amount of spice, sugar, and vinegar.
Onions and garlic should go in just about everything ever… except French Toast.
Spices and tomato paste are added to the cooked down onions and garlic. Adding the spices before the liquid helps the flavors bloom. That’s a real thing. Get into it.
The tomato mixture is boiled down for about 45 minutes. In that time it goes from being ‘tomato mixture’ to ‘ketchup’.
It’s a simmering miracle.
I like a homemade ketchup that’s a little rough around the edges.
The simmered ketchup is blended with an immersion blender creating a smooth-ish, spicy sauce. It’s so flavorful. You’ll totally pat yourself on the back.
If you weren’t a ketchup person before, maybe… just maybe you are now. This spread is sweet and spicy. It’s full of some really lovely spices that blend together into a lovely and indecipherable blend of goodness. Little jars of this ketchup also makes a great hostess gift during the summer months. Look at you being so dang thoughtful and seasonal. You’re making life look easy. Good on ya!
Homemade Spicy Ketchup
makes 3 cups ketchup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika
big pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, heat mellows as the ketchup cools
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Place oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. I used a 3 quart sauce pan and it seemed like the perfect fit. Saute onions until they are transparent, tender, and begin to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste, salt, and all of the spices to the pan. Stir until the tomato paste is evenly distributed, and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, vinegar, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Mixture will thicken to a ketchup consistency. Stir occasionally.
Remove pan from heat, and use an immersion blender to blend to the chunky ketchup smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully place the warm ketchup in a regular blender to blend smooth. Just be sure to leave the blender lid slightly ajar so the warm contents don’t burst. After using either an immersion or regular blender, strain ketchup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. This will remove any unwanted seeds. I leave mine chunky cause I’m dirty like that. Get into it.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Store ketchup in glass jars in the fridge. Ketchup will last for up to 1 month in the fridge!
Malin Andersson
Hello. What a great recipe pictures. I love tomato ketchup. I already used your given recipe to make the tomato ketchup. It was made so tasty and delicious. Thanks.
Anders Svensson
Oh my goodness! What a stunning recipe it was! I love this recipe. I always make it, when I felt hungry. Thanks for sharing.
Sooz
We do home made Christmas presents and this and my daughters bacon jam blew my hubby away. I don’t much like ketchup but this is amazing !
Ryda
Made it…and welp, IT IS FANTASTIC! The only thing I’d change, is making a triple batch as my friends all just to had to some and agree how wonderful it is. Thanks for a recipe that will long be in my kitchen. Outstanding!
kaela
I just made this tonight – oh my goodness, I just… I cannot even!! This was ridiculous delicious, thank you so much for sharing this Joy! I even got my picky sister who cannot take anything even remotely spicy to smother lashings of this sauce all over her burger bun before digging and going back for seconds! Success! The second beautiful recipe from Joy the Baker I’ve made in a week(the first was your apple crisp recipe which was very quickly demolished!) Thanks again for your wonderful blog and helping me make delicious food for my loved ones :)
Kelsey
I’ve always wanted to make my own ketchup – I’ve got TONS of tomatoes in my garden, do you have a suggestion on how to adapt this recipe for using whole tomatoes?
Jeanette @ mary's pastry lab
looks super yumsss. :)
Rachel (De Ma Cuisine)
This will be amazing with your hot dog buns! I can’t wait to try it!!
Holly
I’d also love a how-to to can this. Thanks.
Gary
Can honey be substituted for the brown sugar?
joythebaker
i haven’t tried the recipe this way but you could give it a go!
Rachel
A traditional British form of French Toast; ‘Eggy Bread’ is savoury. Usually made with just egg and milk and salt and pepper instead of sugar, and served with ketchup. So onions and garlic? Totally down for that combo!
Allie @ The Nutritional Epiphany
Mmmmm I like to put ketchup on so many things that are probably not socially acceptable. Not french toast though, so I feel ok about that. I love that there are blended, caramelized onions in here though. I think that’s a great way to add volume, boost nutritional content and add some really good flavor. The spices are so bright and beautiful, too. I hope a lot of people were inspired to make this for 4th of July festivities!
DianeK
I made it. I ate it. It was perfect . The husband loved it too
Grubarazzi
A great thing to make with our summer tomato bounty! Nom nom. I’m sure you are going to get a million canning questions. But I’ll save you the trouble and google it instead. The joys of the internet!
Denis
Such a cool idea! Thanks for sharing! Love x
Angela
Does it matter what kind of onion? I usually use sweet, but would red or more pungent onions work better in this recipe or other instances?
newyawkahbroad
What, exactly, do you have against onions and garlic on French Toast……………..snob………… ;-)
Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank
My wife just sent me to your site (this recipe in particular), it looks amazing! I love spicy foods and often add chili to the meals I prepare for myself.
Maisie
I (and I mean it) love ketchup! This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it out!
tammi
cannot wait to make this!
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
Oh Joy – you make my ketchup obsession seem totally feasible. And for that, I tip my cap to you.
Nessa
Yum! Perfect for dipping :)
Mary @ The Kitchen Paper
Oooh! What’s next? MUSTARD?! I would love you if you taught me how to make mustard…. I honestly have no idea how it’s made. <– obviously the google could help me out here, but you'd probably make it more fun.
bakerkat
I’ve grown tired of ketchup but I think you just woke me up. I’ve got to try this .
gayle
There’s an old movie starring Doris Day, and in it she makes “catsup”. When I saw it, I thought, “No one makes ‘catsup'”. But now I might be making ketchup…. Thanks!
Jessica
Looks easy and delish! Have also wanted to try a “beet ketchup” recipe – supposed to be amazing with sweet potato fries!
Shaina
That’s my kind of ketchup.
Eileen
Homemade ketchup is a very interesting idea! I can’t say I’d mind impressing random fry-eaters this summer… :)
annie
I think the reason I like french fries and hot dogs is because I get to dress them with ketchup – can’t wait to try this.
cindy
we are totally ketchup people at my house! I love the idea of making it from scratch..plus, spicness FTW!
Lucia
I’m not a ketchup person, but I probably will be :-)
All that Glisters is not Gold
I loved putting smoked paprika in recipes, it instantly gives a summer BBQ taste!
from Em x
Kristina
Can I process this in a hot water bath and store it on the shelf?
Cristina
Love ketchup too much. I’ll have to try your recipe.
Kasey
Oh good lord. I jsut made a samosa burger yesterday that I would have smothered this on. all over. with cheese.
have you made bourbon mustard yet? because I have and it would go *great* with this.
happy tuesday, Joy!
Mr. & Mrs. P
Loving this!!! What a great recipe and its easily customizable to your taste!!!
Mr. & Mrs. P
http://cristyandmichael.blogpost.com
Maggie B
Can you process this like other home canned goods? I’d love to make it ‘shelf stable’ and it’s a great way to use up the 10283401350137501283 tomatoes my husband planted in the garden this year! =)
Paola Parsons
I think canning this recipe would work fine. good luck!
Arthur in the Garden!
This looks wonderful! Hmm. Now I know what to do with all these tomatoes!
Pam
Blackberry ketchup is amazing tasting and easy to make. Does yours taste tomatoey? I would like to try a tomato ketchup.
Libby
I am out of Ketchup. I’m making this.
For the record, I make the heck out of one delightful, onion and garlicky French Toast with Parmesan cheese over the top.
http://xoxolib.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/page-9-current-events/
As I went to go look for this link, I also see that this is the post where I get pumped about getting your cookbook in the mail. And now I feel weird about sharing. But I’m doing it anyway.
Rachel P.
Would it be possible to make this with fresh tomatoes? The hubby and I are growing a bunch in the garden and that would the ULTIMATE in bragging rights! Homemade ketchup made with tomatoes from our own garden- I can’t even deal!
Glenda O'Connor
Ditto on you Jennifer, christmas gifts is the first thing I thought of!
Suzanne Barker
Just wanted to say how great you looked in the ad in Bon Appetit!
MeganAnne
and now i’m wondering if a savory french toast couldn’t be made with some onions and garlic. although, why mess with a good thing, right? :)
joythebaker
i think i could totally pull it off. my wheels are turning too!
Becca from Cookie Jar Treats
Oh I am such a ketchup person! Ketchup goes on almost everything I eat (nothing that’s sweet though because that would make me weird…er than normal) This is awesome that you are basically making a homemade summer :)
Diane, A Broad
Summer bucket list. This is on it!
joythebaker
yea, girl!!
In a Trendy Town
Thanks for the recipe, natural ketchup will be always better!
inatrendytown.blogspot.com
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan
Yes yes and yes. I need this to dress up my hot diggity dogs!!
Jamie
Love this idea! So great to know how to do this yourself!
Tieghan
Love this idea! I have to make it!
Meg H
Love homemade ketchup – never use the bottle stuff anymore. But I make mine with half tomatoes and half roasted peppers. Yum! also make relish and mustard – so I am good to go for any cookout. (BTW, use your cookbook so much pages got stuck together! That thing is getting a workout.)
ileana
Fantastic! Can’t wait to see what’s up next this week! The hot dog buns looked great, too. :)
Sophie @ The Spotty Teapot
I’ve always wanted to make my own ketchup, especially if we’re having a barbecue. I’ve just never really got round to it, but that may be due to us never having the right weather for a barbecue *sigh*.
x
Jayne
I am always and forever will be a ketchup person.
Christina @ Scaredy Cat Kitchen
I like the idea of a summer bragging rights list and this definitely needs to go on mine!
phanie
BUT IS IT BETTER THAN YOUR CURRY KETCHUP THAT I HAVE BEEN MAKING FOR THE PAST YEAR????
I have my doubts….
xoxox
Phanie
Kathryn
Oh yes, this is getting made this weekend.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I make mustard, honey mustard, salad dressing, mayo, you name it, I love condiments and have tried my hand at homemade – except not ketchup. And I LOVE ketchup!!! The fact that you said it’s sweet and spicy, oh that just seals the deal! If you’re selling this, I would buy a couple cases from you, asap! :)
Vinnie @ Jarhead
Thanks for this great recipe. I actually recently made homemade ketchup too. I used fresh tomatoes but they were out of season here in Australia, so I had to balance out the acidity with some extra sugar. Next time I’ll try using canned tomatoes like you instead!
Jennifer
This may be what I make for Christmas gifts this year!
Emily Outcalt
this is unappetizing at midnight, but my higher self knows that’s because I’m tired. time for bed and better judgment in the morning. (it looks awesome)