Healthy Homemade Ketchup

This Healthy Homemade Ketchup is made with only 2 ingredients – fresh garden tomatoes and … apples! The ketchup is naturally sweetened, has a deep tangy flavor and thick texture. It’s also a perfect ketchup recipe for canning with using an easy way to sterilize jars.

Healthy Homemade Ketchup Recipe

This Healthy Homemade Ketchup recipe is actually simple, natural, and even fun to prepare! If you’re looking for what to make with your garden tomatoes or fresh tomatoes from a farmers’ market – this ketchup recipe is a must-try!

For sure, store-bought ketchup is easier, but with this recipe, you can have healthy, homemade, sugar-free ketchup made with fresh tomatoes, apples, and flavorful spices.

This homemade ketchup is naturally sweetened from ripe tomatoes and apples – these fruits are pretty sweet on their own. So, when you’re simmering the ketchup to reduce the liquid and get a thick consistency, the fruits contribute all their sweetness.

The spices used in this recipe give the ketchup special flavor and a touch of warmth, but obviously, you can omit some of them or experiment with your favorites.

How to Thicken Homemade Ketchup

Some people recommend thickening ketchup with cornstarch. But in this recipe, you don’t need to use any thickening products. All you need to do is just put the ingredients in a pot and cook them down on low heat until most of the liquid is reduced and you’ve got the consistency you want. I like the “porridge-like” consistency.

How Long Can Homemade Ketchup Last

This is a great canned ketchup recipe, so you can make it now when fresh tomatoes are in season and enjoy it all winter long. When properly canned, the ketchup will keep for at least 6-7 months at room temp. I usually keep my canned stuff in my basement where the temperature is cooler. Once you open a jar of homemade canned ketchup, keep it refrigerated for up to a month.

If you’re making this ketchup recipe to use right away, transfer the ketchup to a glass jar or container and keep it in a fridge for 3 weeks.

Easy Way to Sterilize Jars in the Oven:

1. Wash jars and lids under warm running water and soap or in a dishwasher.
2. Place the clean jars (they can still be wet) and lids in a NON-preheated oven. Then turn on your oven to 350˚F.
3. Heat the jars with lids in the oven for 20-25 min.

What to Add to Homemade Ketchup

This ketchup is perfectly spiced, balanced with sweetness, saltiness, with the right amount of sour from the vinegar. However, you can always customize the flavor any way you like with add-ins:

Honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar (natural sweeteners) – for more sweetness;

Chili powder, cayenne pepper, or sriracha – for a little heat;

Smoked paprika – for delicate smoky flavor.

How to Use This Ketchup

Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this ketchup with:

Grilled Chicken Thighs

Easy Baked Chicken Wings

Healthy Meatloaf

Baked Chicken Nuggets

Homemade Chicken Sausages

Here Are Some Reasons Why You Should Make this Healthy Homemade Ketchup:

• it’s a ketchup recipe that is perfect for using up garden tomatoes;
• it’s a great ketchup recipe for canning;
• it’s no sugar added ketchup recipe;
• this ketchup is made with only two ingredients;
• it’s healthy and tasty homemade ketchup for kids and family;
• it has only 8 calories per tablespoon in comparison to 20-calorie Heinz ketchup;
• it’s a vegetarian, vegan, paleo, plant-based, weight watchers friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free ketchup recipe.

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*** Big thanks for this recipe to Galina Artemenko who shared it on her YouTube channel ***

Ingredients for Healthy Homemade Ketchup

• 6 – 7 lb (or 3kg) ripe tomatoes (or ~ 5 ½ lb cored and peeled)
• 4-5 large apples (or ~ 1 lb cored and peeled)
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 5 tablespoons (50ml) white wine vinegar

How to Make Healthy Homemade Ketchup

1. In a 5-quart pot boil about 3-4 quarts of water over high heat. Slice a shallow “X” on top of each tomato. Working in batches, drop the tomatoes in the hot water for 1 minute or so. Using a slotted spoon, lift the tomatoes out and place them on a cutting board. Let tomatoes cool and then peel off the skins using your hands. Discard the water from the pot.
2. Roughly chop the tomatoes, core, and transfer them to the same 5-quart pot.
3. Peel the apples, remove cores and roughly chop. Place them in the pot with tomatoes. Add in salt, black pepper, ground coriander, Italian seasonings, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Stir well.
4. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the consistency you like. This will take about 2 – 3 hours but could take longer if there’s a lot of liquid in the ketchup mixture.
5. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Then using a hand blender, food processor, or countertop blender blend the ketchup mixture into a smooth puree.
6. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer using a spoon or spatula to press the mixture through the strainer into a clean large bowl. Discard anything leftover in the strainer.
7. Return the ketchup back to the pot and add the vinegar. Stir well and simmer again, stirring carefully for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Refrigerator or Freezer storage:

• Let the ketchup cool to room temperature then pour into jars. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
• If you want to freeze your sauce, pour it into freezer-friendly containers or bags and freeze for up to 4 months.

Canning storage:

• Sterilize clean glass jars and lids: Wash them and place them in the oven. Adjust the temperature to 350˚F and heat the jars with lids for 20-25 min. Turn off the oven and leave the jars with lids in to keep them hot.
• Carefully pour the hot ketchup into hot or very warm jars. Top with the sterilized lids and screw on the rings. Let cool and store the jars with ketchup in a cool, dark place like a pantry for at least 6-7 months.

How Many Calories in Homemade Ketchup

Healthy Homemade Ketchup

This Healthy Homemade Ketchup is made with only 2 ingredients – fresh garden tomatoes and … apples! The ketchup is naturally sweetened, has a deep tangy flavor and thick texture. It’s also a perfect ketchup recipe for canning with using an easy way to sterilize jars.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 3 hrs

Total Time 3 hrs 20 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 5 cups

Calories 8 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 6 - 7 lb or 3kg ripe tomatoes (or ~ 5 ½ lb cored and peeled)
• 4-5 large apples or ~ 1 lb cored and peeled
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasonings
• 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 5 tablespoons 50ml white wine vinegar

Instructions

 

• In a 5-quart pot boil about 3-4 quarts of water over high heat. Slice a shallow “X” on top of each tomato. Working in batches, drop the tomatoes in the hot water for 1 minute or so. Using a slotted spoon, lift the tomatoes out and place them on a cutting board. Let tomatoes cool and then peel off the skins using your hands. Discard the water from the pot.
• Roughly chop the tomatoes, core, and transfer them to the same 5-quart pot.
• Peel the apples, remove cores and roughly chop. Place them in the pot with tomatoes. Add in salt, black pepper, ground coriander, Italian seasonings, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg. Stir well.
• Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is reduced and the sauce reaches the consistency you like. This will take about 2 - 3 hours but could take longer if there's a lot of liquid in the ketchup mixture.
• Remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Then using a hand blender, food processor, or countertop blender blend the ketchup mixture into a smooth puree.
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer using a spoon or spatula to press the mixture through the strainer into a clean large bowl. Discard anything leftover in the strainer.
• Return the ketchup back to the pot and add the vinegar. Stir well and simmer again, stirring carefully for 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

Refrigerator or Freezer storage:

• Let the ketchup cool to room temperature then pour into jars. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
• If you want to freeze your sauce, pour it into freezer-friendly containers or bags and freeze for up to 4 months.

Canning storage:

• Sterilize clean glass jars and lids: Wash them and place them in the oven. Adjust the temperature to 350˚F and heat the jars with lids for 20-25 min. Turn off the oven and leave the jars with lids in to keep them hot.
• Carefully pour the hot ketchup into hot or very warm jars. Top with the sterilized lids and screw on the rings. Let cool and store the jars with ketchup in a cool, dark place like a pantry for at least 6-7 months.

Notes

How Many Calories in Homemade Ketchup

Calories (per 1 tbsp, 15ml): 8 kcal	Calories (per 100 g ): 56 kcal
Fat: 0 g	Fat: 0.5 g
Carbohydrates: 2.0 g	Carbohydrates: 13.2 g
Protein: 0.3 g	Protein: 2.0 g

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