Homemade Ketchup from Fresh Tomatoes, no Sugar
This recipe shows you how to make homemade ketchup from fresh tomatoes easily. This homemade ketchup is going to be a classic tomato ketchup by taste, but healthy, namely without sugar and additives. It still tastes sweet, is aromatic, easy to prepare, and can be varied in terms of spices to suit your taste. After testing many versions over the last few years, here is my favorite tried-and-tested recipe — including practical tips and ideas for possible variations in preparation. It will show you everything you need to make homemade ketchup.
Homemade Tomato Ketchup – Healthy Alternative to Store-Bought
While store-bought ketchup usually consists of around a quarter sugar, which is often the second ingredient listed, this homemade ketchup contains only a fraction of that (see nutritional values in the recipe card at the end of this post) – without compromising on taste.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not a health nut and I enjoy eating fries with ketchup when I’m out and about, and I love vegan grilled cheese sandwich with tomato ketchup, mmmmh (nutritional value zero, taste one hundred).
But if something can be healthier while still tasting the same, then I’m all for it. I also like to experiment and prepare basics myself, as evidenced by this homemade instant veggie stock powder or cashew sour cream.
Besides, anyone who has children knows how picky they can be about food and how they sometimes can’t get enough of ketchup. It’s wonderful to be able to offer them ketchup without feeling guilty.
Ingredients for Homemade Tomato Ketchup
What is the main ingredient in ketchup? Bingo—tomatoes—at least in tomato ketchup. Ketchup is made of a few other ingredients, most of which you probably already have at home:
1. Tomatoes
Sure, tomatoes for tomato ketchup, but what kind of tomatoes are used to make ketchup? Please use bigger, red ripe or even overripe ones, not rock-hard, half-ripe light orange ones. Before you do that, it’s better to use canned tomatoes.
Canned tomatoes are also a good option for winter if you want to make your own ketchup then, or if you want to save yourself the trouble of peeling them, as they are usually already peeled.
No cherry tomatoes, otherwise peeling them will be tedious (unless you choose the no-peeling version, more on that below).
This version contains no tomato paste, only pure freshness.
2. Acidity = vinegar
Why is vinegar added to ketchup?
Vinegar not only gives ketchup its characteristic, slightly sour taste, but also acts as a natural preservative. It lowers the pH value, inhibits the growth of bacteria and thus extends the shelf life of homemade ketchup (more on shelf life later).
And which vinegar for ketchup?
Mild, fruity vinegars such as apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are particularly well suited for ketchup, as they enhance the tomato flavors without being too dominant.
3. Sweetness ≠ sugar
As mentioned at the beginning, store-bought tomato ketchup usually contains quite a lot of sugar. This version does not contain any sugar, at least not industrial sugar. Doesn’t this tomato ketchup taste bland without sugar? Definitely not. It still contains sweetness—namely from dates.
Side note: If you like the idea of using dates instead of regular sugar, then check out my other sugar-free but sweet recipes, such as chocolate baked oats or sugar-free oatmeal cookies.
4. Spices
Wondering what spices you need for homemade ketchup? Well, here’s what you definitely need:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt
What I also add:
- Pepper
- Mustard seeds
- Coriander
- Turmeric
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Chili
- Bay leaf
So many spices? Isn’t that a spice ketchup? No, not at all. It’s just a little bit more refined and rounded. I only add a little bit of everything, a pinch here, a knife tip there. So it’s no big deal if you don’t have all of them at home.
You see—all very simple ingredients, vegetarian or vegan, and even healthy.
Ketchup made from Fresh Tomatoes: Step by Step
Isn’t it hard to make homemade ketchup? Not at all! Making ketchup at home is as easy as the ingredients and also allows for a few variations.
- Prepare the tomatoes: wash them, remove the stem with a sharp knife, and cut an X on the opposite side of the stem. This makes it easier to peel them later.
- Blanch and peel the tomatoes: Next, blanch the tomatoes in hot water, then rinse them briefly with cold water, peel them, and add them to the blender.
- Dates: Add the pitted dates to the blender.
- Spices: Now sauté the peeled and coarsely chopped onion in a little olive oil, add the spices, and deglaze with vinegar.
- Blend: Add this mixture to the dates and tomatoes in the blender, blend until smooth, and return to the pot. Please make sure you use a large pot, as the sauce splatters quite a bit when it thickens, especially when stirring!
- Thickening: Now let everything simmer for a good 60 minutes on low heat heat until the mixture has reduced significantly. If your homemade ketchup is still too watery, you can simply thicken it by cooking it for longer. Experience has shown that your ketchup is ready when you think it is almost thick enough, as it thickens as it cools.
- Prepare bottles or jars: While the ketchup is cooking, prepare your storage containers. You can use bottles with swing tops, for example, or bottles from store-bought ketchup, but you can also simply use old jam jars or similar containers.
It is important to sterilize them and the lids. I do this with boiling water: I place them in the sink (the lids in a separate clean container), fill them to the brim with boiling water, leave them to stand for a short time, empty them (caution: hot! Use oven mitts or a tea towel to handle them) and dry them upside down. - Filling: When the ketchup is ready, fill the bottles or jars while it is still hot and seal them. That’s it.
The preparation is actually quick, i.e. the steps involved. The cooking only takes a little time.
Variations in preparation
I love it when I can simplify a recipe or optimize the ingredients. Before you venture into the unknown (“couldn’t it work this way or that way?”), let me share my findings with you:
Don’t peel the tomatoes and don’t fry the onion or garlic beforehand (i.e., ketchup without oil).
One step I would love to skip is peeling the tomatoes. And yes, it’s possible, but it just doesn’t turn out fine enough. “Lumps” in ketchup are inappropriate. But (luckily), it’s not a big deal and you can help things along in other ways.
A really simple version is to mix all the ingredients (except the bay leaf) together: finely blend the tomatoes (without the stems – there’s no getting around that), dates, onion, garlic, and spices (without the bay leaf) in a blender and then cook. In this case, please use only half the amount of onion and garlic, otherwise it will be too intense.
I have a great blender that really crushes every seed. Even so, blending alone wasn’t enough. If you choose the “blend everything together” version, strain the liquid through a fine cheesecloth or pass it through a fine sieve before cooking.
Preserving homemade ketchup
Through long simmering, excess water evaporates, leaving fewer nutrients for bacteria to grow. At the same time, the acidity, salt, sugar, and spices become more concentrated, and germs are reliably killed.
Unopened and stored in a cool, dark place, the ketchup will keep for about four months. If you process it in a water bath, it can even last for several months. Since I usually only make one or two bottles, I simply put them in the fridge after cooling and skip the water bath.
To preserve homemade ketchup last as long as possible, it’s important that the jars or bottles and their lids are perfectly clean and sterilized. Hot filling and sealing right away (just like with jam) also helps extend the shelf life. In addition, careful handling—such as always using a clean spoon when scooping from a jar—makes a big difference.
Once opened, the ketchup will keep in the fridge for about two to four weeks, depending on how clean you work and how much liquid evaporates during cooking.
Why not give it a try and share your experience and how you liked the taste in the comment section? Wishing you lots of success and fun making it.
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Homemade Ketchup from Fresh Tomatoes: No Sugar, Vegan
Equipment
- blender *)
- Mason Jars *) (or use bottles)
Ingredients
- 1 kg tomatoes big and ripe
- 5 dates pitted
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp peppercorns 1/4 tsp = approx. 10 peppercorns
- ½ tsp mustard seeds instead of 1/2 tsp of mustard seeds, ½ tbsp of mustard should also work well.
- ¼ tsp coriander seeds whole or already ground but then slightly less
- 1 pinch of turmeric ground
- 1 clove
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch chili optional, or even more if you want to make chilli ketchup.
- 50 ml vinegar light balsamic vinegar (Condimento Bianco), white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 1.3 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Using a small, sharp, pointed knife, cut out the tomato stalks and score an X on the tomato “bottoms” with the knife.
- Blanch the tomatoes in a pot of boiling water and remove them when the skins begin to loosen (approx. 30-60 seconds).
- Place the tomatoes in a sieve, rinse with cold water, peel and place the tomatoes in the blender jug while still hot.
- Add the pitted dates to the blender jug.
- Now peel the onion, cut it into small pieces, peel the garlic and cut it into small pieces.
- Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic pieces and sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until translucent.
- In the last 30 seconds or so, add the spices (everything except the bay leaf, i.e., pepper, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, and chili).
- Now deglaze the onion, garlic, and spice mixture with vinegar and add to the mixing bowl, where the dates and tomatoes are already waiting. Blend until smooth.
- Return the sauce to the saucepan, add salt and bay leaf, and simmer everything for about 1 hour and 15 minutes on the lowest heat (level 1). The ketchup will now thicken. Caution: The sauce will splatter. The pot should therefore be slightly larger. It is also advisable to place a lid loosely on top and to be especially careful when stirring.
- If you think your ketchup is thick enough, then it almost certainly is, as it will thicken slightly more once it has cooled down.
- Before bottling, remove the bay leaf and stir the ketchup well (as it is usually thinner at the top and slightly thicker at the bottom of the pot). While still hot, pour it into sterilized jars or bottles (rinsed with boiling water) using a preserving funnel and seal them (the lids must also be sterilized, of course).
- After cooling, store in a cool, dark place (keeps for a good 4 months). Once opened, it will keep in the refrigerator for about 2-4 weeks.
Video
Notes
- According to this recipe, 1 kg of tomatoes (≈ 2.2 lbs) yields approximately 0.5 to 0.6 liters of ketchup (≈ 16.9 fl oz to 20.3 fl oz), depending on the water content of the tomatoes, how much water evaporates during simmering, etc.