It is the Best Tomato Catsup, regardless of how you choose to spell it! By the way, I made this fantastic catsup the first time back in 1974! Moreover, it was made with my own home-grown fresh produce too! Time flies, doesn’t it? You won’t find a tastier catsup anywhere! I’m hoping to have a bumper crop of tomatoes this season so I can make this again. Incidentally, I had no bumper crop in 2022; huge disappointment mostly because of our extreme Texas heat!
My tomatoes that year didn’t begin to set until fall when it cooled off. It got too cold for them after that; believe it or not! However, I’m giving another plant lots of TLC again! That’s what we do, eh? We keep trying! Actually, it’s even hotter this summer so I don’t have the greatest expectations! In the meantime, I just keep watering it and trying to keep it happy! (Please excuse the picture of my “bumper crop;” I couldn’t resist it!)
By the way, this catsup makes a great air freshener too! Perfect combination of spices will do that! Have fun. By the way, plan on this taking all afternoon and be ready to stir and stir fairly often; having it not burn is worth the agony! I recommend having a stool nearby too. You might as well be comfortable! However, stay awake!
Ingredients for Best Tomato Catsup:
Tomatoes, 8 pounds
Medium onion, 1 chopped
Cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon
Sugar, 1 cup
White vinegar, 1 cup
Whole cloves, 1 & 1/2 teaspoon
Stick cinnamon, 1 & 1/2 inch, broken
Celery salt, 1 teaspoon
Salt, 4 teaspoons
Instructions for Best Tomato Catsup:
First, wash, peel, remove stem ends and cores, and quarter tomatoes. Let tomatoes stand in colander to drain off excess liquid. In a 8 to 10 quart kettle or Dutch oven mix tomatoes, onions and cayenne pepper. Bring to boiling * and cook until tomatoes are soft, about fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. At asterisk*, I recommend that you drain tomatoes while cooking several times. Put tomato mix through a food mill or coarse sieve; press to extract juice. Add sugar to juice and return to kettle. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 1 & 1/2 hour to 2 hours or till mixture is reduced by half. (Measure depth with ruler at start and end.) You don’t want the catsup to be runny!
Meanwhile. . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine white vinegar, whole cloves, stick cinnamon and celery seed. Cover; bring vinegar mixture to boiling. Remove from heat and let stand. By the way, just smell that stuff!
Strain spiced vinegar mixture into tomato sauce. Discard the spices. Add salt to mixture; simmer till of desired consistency, about 30 minutes. Incidentally, stir the tomato mixture often, to prevent sticking.
Finally, pour hot catsup into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust lids. Process in boiling water bath (pints) for 5 minutes. Makes 2 pints. (Maybe less, if it is thick) However, if you are blessed to have a pressure canner, use that and just follow their instructions.
P.S. By the way, do you have the proper utensils for this project? Or are they like some of my tools? Rusty, broken, or beyond hope? If so, check out our fine source of kitchen utensils and textiles. You could get carried away! UTENSILS
P.P.S. There are varying opinions on what tomatoes to use for catsup. I found this article that recommends the most flavorful tomatoes you can find. Home grown is going to be your best bet, regardless. Therefore, we plant tomatoes and hope for a true bumper crop; not like my picture. Nurseries are a good place to ask because we get new types every year. In this case, older, more well-known varieties are probably better. Therefore, here’s one source of TOMATO INFO.
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