Make Your Own (Easy and Healthy) Homemade Ketchup From Your Garden!

Last Updated on October 29, 2021 by Sabrina Currie

Make Your Own Ketchup??? Yes!

Do you like ketchup but cringe at all the sugar, sugar syrup and other less than natural ingredients? It's easy to make your own ketchup using tomatoes and peppers from your garden or farmer's market.

This week's recipe, Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Ketchup,  is part of a meal I entered in a local recipe contest a short while ago.  As tomatoes and peppers are starting to ripen I thought it was a good week to share this.

Natural Homemade Ketchup

This is not your typical store-bought, heavily sugared ketchup which I am not a big fan of. This is full of whole ingredients and only 3 tablespoons of brown sugar as the peppers and tomato add natural sweetness.  This dipping sauce is rich, tangy, naturally sweet and the peppers add to the complex flavor of this.  The recipe will make about 2-2.5 cups depending on the size of your produce and will keep well in the fridge for about 10 days or you can freeze or pressure can any excess.  This is the perfect condiment for burgers, grilled chicken or pork and gourmet macaroni and attached is my delicious potato chip recipe to go along with it if you need suggestions on what to dip into it.

What's In Commercial Ketchup

If you're curious about the amount of sugar in commercial ketchups, check out this article from the Washington Post,  in Canada we have a slightly different recipe as they aren't allowed to use the high-fructose corn syrup but in our ketchup the second ingredient is liquid sugar and has the same 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon as the US recipe.  It will certainly make you think twice before putting on your kids plates.

Easy To Make Ketchup With Garden Veggies

Here on Vancouver Island my summer garden is in full swing, my tomatoes are doing great, string beans starting, figs ripening, raspberries and strawberries are still producing and I'm now thinking about planting some veggies that will carry us into fall and winter.  I haven't done brussels sprouts in a while but they are such a treat to be out picking fresh at Thanksgiving or even Christmas so they are on my list.  Any of you have any favourite fall/winter veggies I should try?

OK, off to do some gardening and plan a menu for the weekend out at the lake!

ox Sabrina

Growing lots of peppers? Try my Roasted Red Pepper Soup

PS. Let me know how it goes if you try this recipe and use #wckitchengarden to show me on Instagram, I'd love to see! (Insta, FB and Pinterest links are in the sidebar)

📖 Recipe

Homemade Ketchup and Potato Chips

Sweet and savoury homemade ketchup is way lower in sugar and sodium. This easy ketchup recipe gets it's sweetness from garden tomatoes and peppers.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Condiment

Keyword: Easy, Homemade, Ketchup, low sodium, Red Pepper, Tomato, Wholesome

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

Rustic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato "Ketchup"

• ▢ 1 Onion (1 c chopped)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Paprika Ground
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Allspice Ground
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon Cloves Ground
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
• ▢ 2 Red Peppers, (1.5 c) Roasted, Peeled and Coarsely Chopped
• ▢ 2 Tomatoes (2 c) Coarsely Chopped
• ▢ 3 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• ▢ 4-6 dashes Tobasco Depending how spicy you want

Homemade Chips

• ▢ 4 New Potatoes (4 c once sliced on mandoline)
• ▢ Vegetable Oil, 1 cm depth in frying pan
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato "Ketchup"

• Heat small pot on medium and add oil. Once heated, add onion and sauté until translucent then add garlic, salt, pepper and spices and cook 3 more minutes.
  
• Add tomatoes, peppers and vinegar and cook stirring frequently until it becomes soft and releases liquid then cook stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until it is a nice saucy consistency.  Add brown sugar and tobasco and simmer 5 more minutes.
  
• Using an immersion blender (or a stand blender) blend until smooth.  (This will be a rustic smooth, not Heinz ketchup smooth) Sauce should be fairly thick, if it is not, continue cooking longer to reduce to desired consistency.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, cool and serve at room temperature. This makes more than you'll need for 4 servings so refrigerate any leftover.
  

Homemade Chips

• Fill a bowl with water and slice potatoes on a mandolin into water to keep them from browning.  Meanwhile fill a large pot with water and turn to boil on stove. 

  Once boiling, blanch potato slices in boiling water 3 minutes then drain in a colander and rinse with cold water quickly to stop cooking.  Separate slices gently and leave in colander to dry.
  
• Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium heat (or you can deep fry these faster but I don't have a deep fryer).  Fry until starting to brown, then flip and fry 1-2 more minutes for a total of about 6-8 minutes.  If using a pan, you will need to do these in batches (I did 3 batches), spread them out but they can overlap a little.
  
• Remove and drain on paper towel lined plate or bowl.  Lightly salt and keep warm in oven until ready to use.
  

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