Homemade Tomato Catsup

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 9 lbs tomatoes
• 1 medium size yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup cider vinegar, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon whole allspice
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 5 sticks cinnamon, broken
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Recipe

• 1 cut the tomato's in quarters and puree them in a blender or food processor together with the chopped onion and bell pepper.
• 2 strain the puree through a coarse sieve to eliminate the tomato skins.
• 3 pour into a large non stick pot.
• 4 cook the mixture on low stirring often until it has thickened considerable possibly as long as an 1 hour.
• 5 wrap the allspice, cloves, cinnamon and celery seed in a cheesecloth and put them in a small pot with the vinegar.
• 6 heat the vinegar and bag of spices together for about 30 min
• 7 then remove the bag of spices.
• 8 add about 1/2 the spiced vinegar to the tomato mixture
• 9 stir it in and taste.
• 10 for a spicier flavor add a little more of the spiced vinegar.
• 11 if it is already sufficiently spiced for you.
• 12 add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain cider vinegar. this seasoning must be done to your taste.
• 13 then add the mustard, cayenne, sugar , honey and salt.
• 14 cook the mixture again, stirring often until it has reached the consistency that you prefer for catsup.
• 15 the time will very depending on the consistency you want but it can take another hour or so.
• 16 taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.
• 17 pour into hot sterile jars and seal leaving 1/2 inch of headroom.
• 18 makes 3 to 4 pints depending on consistency.