Grandpa’s Ketchup – Grandpa Cooks

The Whitehouse Recipe is a fun part of history, and makes pretty good ketchup (or should I say catsup) but this variation has a few twists added by Grandpa.

1 8 oz can tomato paste
3-5 tomatoes – cut into pieces
1 small onion (minced)
½ tsp EACH dry hot mustard, nutmeg, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ground clove, salt, garlic powder, paprika
2 bay leaves
1 TBL lime juice
1 TBL soft brown sugar (packed) HOLD FOR LATER
2 TBL apple cider vinegar – HOLD FOR LATER

Step by Step

Combine all ingredients (except sugar and vinegar) in a large heavy pan
Rinse can/jar of tomato paste into pan with 2 TBL water, TWICE
Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.
Cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes stirring often and carefully.
Add brown sugar and vinegar and cook until it starts to thicken (10-40 minutes) stirring frequently
Leave to cool a full half hour
Run through a food mill’s finest settings for the ketchup
Run through the next larger food mill screen for a nice spread for crostini
Pour the ketchup mixture through a funnel into suitable bottles
Use it as you would any commercial tomato ketchup
Stored in the fridge this ketchup will keep for a month.

Note: Before Step 6 if you put it (while hot) into sterilized canning jars (and sterilized canning lids) you can store it for up to a year.