In the Kitchen - Make your own Ketchup

A few weeks ago I looked at the ketchup bottle in the refrigerator.  The second or third ingredient was High Fructose Corn Syrup and then further down the list was some other stuff I could not pronounce.  OMG... is nothing sacred?

My daughter loves ketchup.. and I am determined to find nothing in my food pantry or refrigerator that is unhealthy as long as I have a choice about it! 

Today I made ketchup.  Never even thought of doing that before.  You can make your own salad dressings, mayonnaise, condiments, sour cream, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, mozzarella cheese, tortillas, bread, etc.  Just about anything can be created in your own kitchen with a little instruction (a recipe), and a little effort.

This ketchup was really easy to make!  It sat on the stove for a little over 2 hours just cooking on low heat and the finished product is fantastic tasting!!  I thought if a person liked a little spicier ketchup some Tabasco could be added or it could be made a little sweeter!  It is also the basis for homemade BBQ sauce!! 

Here is the recipe I used:

KETCHUP

• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste (can find this organic
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar (I used a little more molasses and agave and omitted the brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 2 1/2 cups water

Throw everything in a pot and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, or until it reaches ketchup consistency.

Once it starts to bubble, you'll want to cover the pot.  Otherwise, you'll be cleaning up ketchup splotches from your stove, the floor, and possibly your own forehead.  That's right.

The little white spots in my ketchup are because I substituted some chunky garlic seasoning instead of smooth garlic powder.