Gourmet Spiced Ketchup - it dances on your tongue

One of the things my Mom experimented with when I was a child was canning ketchup.  We liked it okay but it was a tad on the clove-y side.  She didn't make it again.  Was not impressed- too much work and it didn't have a wow factor.  I wish she did try it again with some different spice combinations.  Well, I picked up the torch, despite my past mediocre experience, I made ketchup.  I am glad I did- this stuff rocks.  It makes regular ketchup seem so ubiquitous.  This ketchup has spices that get up and dance on your tongue and party in your mouth.  I can't wait to try it with a burger.

I didn't can/process this.  I gave away some, froze some and refrigerated some. 

Gourmet Spiced Ketchup


4 quarts peeled and chopped tomatoes
1 cup white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon canola oil or other flavorless oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 teaspoon cayenne*
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes*
1 teaspoon allspice, ground
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon cardamom, ground


1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons paprika


Spice Bundle Contents
You can use a coffee filter or cheesecloth to make your bundle, tie up with string and drop in to the tomatoes.


4 cloves
2 tablespoons celery seeds
3 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 cinnamon stick
3 garlic cloves, halved


In boiling water drop tomatoes and let boil for one minute.  Set on a cookie sheet and when cool enough to handle, core and peel tomatoes, cutting off any bad spots. Cut into quarters. 


In a large soup pot heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil and saute onions until translucent.  Add tomatoes and the remainder of ingredients.  Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and let the mixture simmer uncovered for a couple hours.  Stir occassionally, especially toward the end of the cooking process when mixture has reduced considerably.  You want the mixture to plop of the spoon rather than pour.


Remove spice bundle and blend mixture in batches, pouring into decorative jars for gift giving.



*This stuff has some serious kick, if you do not like hot spice in your food I recommend reducing it or omitting it all together.  I would put in some peppercorns (about a teaspoon) to the spice bundle if you omit the heat.