Homemade Tomato Ketchup Recipe

Embrace the Clear-Jel

Years ago I spent hours and hours crafting a homemade ketchup recipe that I hoped my family would love. I sure loved it, it was a gourmet condiment for this poor farmer. But those jars sat on my shelves for years because my kids refused to ditch the squirt bottle. Rigid in my philosophy to try and grow as much as possible, buy in as little as was necessary, and only use real ingredients, preferably ones that had multiple applications in the kitchen, I staunchly refused to use clear-jel to try making a ketchup recipe they might like.

Until this year.

It dawned on me that I was compromising anyway because who knows how those tomatoes in the plastic bottle were actually grown? What’s the difference if I buy clear-jel or buy ketchup with clear-jel in it? I’m slow sometimes, I know.

So back into my personal test kitchen I went and after several variations and methods I have settled on a recipe we all love, even the kids!

Unlike my former recipe that utilized a crockpot overnight to separate out the water, this one is even easier and doesn’t require 12 hours of energy to produce. The trick to removing the water is to jar up pureed tomatoes and pop them in the refrigerator overnight. The water will separate into a layer and you can skim the solids right off!

This makes quick work of the cooking down process that sometimes can take hours and allows you to make use of whatever tomatoes you have growing in the garden, even the more watery (and more flavorful) heirloom tomatoes.

Perfect for the lazy summer-loving canner!

This recipe is easily adjustable to your taste. I recommend making the recipe as-is once and then playing with it to make it yours. More vinegar, less sugar, a bit more heat from the cayenne? You can also check out my first ketchup recipe for a different, more sophisticated spice combination.

A final note is that the canning time works for pints or half-pints. I prefer canning condiments in half-pints so we go through the jars more quickly. My children, who are now old enough to know better and still too young to care, suffer from Fresh Peanut Butter Jar syndrome and tend to pop open a fresh jar before checking the fridge for an open one.

You’re welcome to download this recipe card to your device to save or print. Enjoy!