Canning ketchup at home is easy, cost-effective, more nutritious and much more flavorful: So why not try it?

On a mission to make a better, more nutritious tasting ketchup compared to the commercial brands made with high fructose corn syrup and chemical preservatives, was a true testament of trail and error. Oh, I know that there are many of you who can not live without your bottle of Heinz and that the mere mention of my desire to make my own ketchup is considered sacrilege, but I wanted something bolder. Something with depth of flavor and much less sugar. I have made many batches of ketchup since 1996 when I first began this mission. I've tweaked the ingredients and the measurement countless times trying to achieve the best flavors and a favorable consistency. The list of ingredients is longer than many of the other homemade ketchup recipes I've seen, but each ingredient packs a wallop of flavor.

There are a few ingredients that first must be prepared before cooking your ketchup. Once those ingredients are ready, you simply add the remainder of the items into a large pot and simmer. It's that easy.

This recipe makes a lot of ketchup, but it will keep for months in the refrigerator. I like to can my ketchup that way I don't use up valuable fridge space. [Let's face it, If you're the sort to put ketchup on everything including toast, you're gonna need to make a larger batch of ketchup. Before you double up on the recipe, however, be sure that you've got room to store it. One recipe yields approximately 9 quarts]

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin seed

1 tsp. whole coriander seed

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. allspice

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 large Vadalia onions, sliced about 2/3 inch thick

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup capers with brine

2- 6 oz cans tomato paste

3- 28 oz cans whole peeled tomatoes with juice

2 cups dark raisons

2 cups apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup dark molasses

2 Tbsp. Sriracha

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Lightly oil the onion slices and grill until blackened, about 15 minutes per side. When done, add charred onions to pot.
In a small, dry heavy-based skillet, toast the spices over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add spices to pot.
Using the same heavy-based skillet, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until fragrant. (garlic, once burned has a bitter flavor-be careful to not have the heat too high). Scrap garlic and oil into pot.

Add all the remaining ingredients into your pot and stir using a wooden spoon. Simmer the ketchup over low heat for approximately 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally to keep the ketchup from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Your ketchup will reduce and thicken.

Use a stick blender to puree the ketchup until smooth, but do be careful with the hot liquid.

If the pureed ketchup is not as thick as you'd like it, continue cooking until it's reduced further.

As I mentioned, I have tweaked this recipe too many times to count. In the beginning, I wanted to use garden tomatoes. I thought that using fresh tomatoes would make a superior tasting ketchup. I was wrong. Fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes didn't add nearly as much of a rich tomato flavor as the canned variety. Garden tomatoes also created a much thinner ketchup which required more time to cook. Another good reason to use the canned tomatoes is that they are available year round. By choosing a good quality canned tomato, my ketchup remains consistent each time I make it.

I generally can a few small (16 oz) jars of ketchup, then fill several quart jars for storage in the refrigerator. I prefer the wide mouth jars and I like using the reusable white lids. Both items are a Ball product. If I still have more ketchup, I put it into a container and freeze. It freezer well and lasts for months.

This past summer we were invited to a family gathering. We though it would be fun to bring the host and hostess a little something. I love these burger baskets and you can find them in many different stores. We lined a stack of white baskets with parchment paper tucked a small jar of homemade ketchup in the basket along with a pound of quality sirloin from the butcher and rolls from our local bakery. It was a simple gift that received a big smile.....and an invit back for burgers!