Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 kg ripe tomatoes 🍅
- 1 medium onion, chopped 🧅
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed 🧄
- 100 g brown sugar 🍬
- 120 ml apple cider vinegar 🍎
- 2 tbsp tomato paste 🥫
- 1 tsp salt 🧂
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 🌶️
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika 🌶️
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 🌿
- 3 whole cloves (or 1/8 tsp ground cloves) 🌿
- 2 tbsp olive oil 🫒
- 120 ml water 💧
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
- Add the smashed garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly.
- Add the chopped ripe tomatoes, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, water, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture thickens.
- Remove the pan from heat. If you used whole cloves, fish them out now.
- Blend the mixture until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender (be careful with hot liquid).
- For an ultra-smooth ketchup, pass the blended sauce through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois, pressing with a spatula to extract as much as possible.
- Return the strained ketchup to the saucepan and simmer gently for another 5–10 minutes to reach your desired thickness. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or vinegar as needed.
- Let the ketchup cool to room temperature, then transfer to sterilized jars or bottles. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or process in a water bath for longer storage.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature with fries, burgers, meatloaf, or as a dipping sauce.