When I was a child, one of my jobs was to refill the large, red plastic tomato with ketchup. My sister and I squeezed that tomato to squirt ketchup on French fried potatoes, grilled American cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs and scrambled eggs. When I moved to Washington, DC, I wanted to be sophisticated and cosmopolitan. I listened to classical music, read the articles as well as the cartoons in the New Yorker and banished ketchup from my kitchen.
I don’t know whether it was Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, a gift from a new friend, daily lunches of pate and camembert with a crusty baguette from the French Market or the fact that ketchup was made in the Heinz factory, a few miles from my home in Pittsburg, that turned me into a ketchup snob. Ketchup had to go. There was no ketchup in my kitchen from mid 1965 until December 2011. Yes, it’s back. There is a jar of ketchup in the fridge and I’m planning to give jars of ketchup to my most sophisticated, foodie friends for Christmas this year.
It won’t be Heinz ketchup, it will be ketchup from Carol’s Vermont Kitchen. My willingness to re-consider ketchup came about because I wanted to give a bright red, edible gift for Christmas. Ketchup is an unusual gift and may result in a holiday smiles. I read ketchup recipes in old cookery books, learned a fair amount of ketchup history, modified a couple of recipes and eventually made a batch of lovely red, nothing like the stuff from the grocery store, ketchup. Here’s how I made it: 
Ketchup from a Vermont Kitchen
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
Description
This homemade ketchup from a Vermont kitchen is a delightful twist on the classic condiment, offering a rich, tangy flavor that surpasses any store-bought version.
Ingredients
- 1 - 28 oz (795 g) can pureed tomatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients, except the salt and pepper, in a slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker on high, cover, and cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the cover and continue cooking on high for an additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Allow the ketchup to cool before transferring it to jars for storage.
Notes
- This ketchup can be served warm with meatloaf or used cold on sandwiches.
- It can also be stirred into hot buttered pasta for a unique twist.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.
- For a smoother texture, blend the mixture after cooking and before cooling.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 20
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 200
- Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0
I’ve served this lovely red sauce warm with meatloaf, Charles used it right from the fridge on ham and cheese sandwiches and we’ve stirred it into bowls of hot buttered pasta.
In the seventeenth century, English sailors returned from China with a pickled-fish sauce, called ke-tsiap. That brown sauce went through many changes, traveled to Malaya, eventually met tomatoes and ke-tsiape name morphed to kechap. Before manufacturers settled on ketchup, it was also called catchup, katsup, catsip, kotchup, kitsip, catsoup, cornchop, katsock and cutchpuck. Not only does ketchup add flavor, but some studies show that it may be a powerful tool in the fight against cancer and heart disease.
If this ketchup trivia is not enough to impress my foodie friends – I’ll tell them that ketchup can be used to clean, antique, copper utensils.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe use a slow cooker instead of a stovetop pot?
The slow cooker handles the long, gentle cook without requiring constant attention — the recipe cooks covered on high for 2 hours, then uncovered for another 45 minutes to thicken to the desired consistency. This low-and-slow approach lets the spices (allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, celery seed) meld fully into the tomato base.
How long will this homemade ketchup keep?
The notes say to store it in the refrigerator for up to a month. The article also notes the author gave jars of it as Christmas gifts, which suggests it holds well when jarred and kept cold.
What are some ways to use this ketchup beyond burgers and fries?
The article mentions three specific uses the author tested: served warm alongside meatloaf, cold on ham and cheese sandwiches, and stirred into bowls of hot buttered pasta. The notes also suggest blending the cooked mixture for a smoother texture before jarring.
Can I make the ketchup smoother than the slow cooker produces?
Yes — the notes say to blend the mixture after cooking and before cooling if you prefer a smoother texture. Since the recipe starts with pureed tomatoes and diced onion, blending will give you a more uniform, commercial-style consistency.
I just discovered Honest Cooking and your column!
Do you have instructions for making your ketchup for those of us who are happy to cook slowly but do not own a slow cooker? Thanks!
Tomato ketchup was sold locally by farmers. A man named Jonas Yerks (or Yerkes) is believed to have been the first man to make tomato ketchup a national phenomenon. By 1837, he had produced and distributed the condiment nationally.[7] Shortly thereafter, other companies followed suit. F. & J. Heinz launched their tomato ketchup in 1876..”::
http://www.caramoan.coSee the most up to date write-up on our web portal
I have Heinz in my fridge, but have balked when my hubby and kids splash it all over my Spanish Tortilla. Maybe if it was homemade I wouldn’t mind as much. Sounds like a great project to do with the kids – will try it!
I hopo they like it as much as we do. Happy New Year.
What a lovely picture – thanks!
It was fun to paint this cheeky tomato.