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This Homemade Ketchup recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Just add the ingredients to a blender and you’ll have a smooth, flavorful ketchup in just 5 minutes!
How to Make Quick Homemade Ketchup
After looking at several homemade ketchup recipes online, I noticed that many of them require simmering the mixture on the stove for 30 to 45 minutes. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a lot of time and effort to me, especially for a condiment.
Instead, I wanted a fast ketchup recipe that I could whip up in my blender. And that’s what I’m sharing with you today!
Homemade Ketchup without White Sugar
To eliminate the need for simmering this ketchup, I chose ingredients that would instantly thicken up when blended. Refined white sugar, which is called for in traditional recipes, needs the heat for it to dissolve and thicken, so I’ve chosen to use dates as a natural sweetener instead. They break down quickly in the blender, especially if you soak them in boiling water as you measure out the rest of the ingredients for this recipe.
What’s great about making this ketchup in the blender is that YOU can taste it as you go. Keep in mind that the ketchup will mellow in flavor as it chills in the fridge, so I’d err on the side of over-seasoning it.
If you’d rather not use dates, feel free to swap honey or maple syrup, to taste. (Just skip the water at first and add it only as needed to thin out the final ketchup.)
Can You Freeze Homemade Ketchup?
This recipe makes about 20 ounces of ketchup, but I’m not sure that it will last more than a week in the fridge since it’s made without preservatives. So, I’ve taken to freezing it!
We use about 6 to 8 ounces in a week, so I keep that much in my fridge and then I pour the rest into a glass mason jar to freeze. When you need more, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces Medjool dates , pitted (3/4 cup tightly packed)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (I use organic with BPA-free lining)
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (or 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard)
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the pitted dates in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let the dates soak in the water as you add the other ingredients to the blender.
- In your blender add the tomato paste, vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard, allspice, cloves, and 1/4 cup of water. Pour the dates and their soaking water in last, then blend until smooth. Stop and scrape down the blender, as needed to make sure everything is blended in.
- Taste the mixture and adjust any seasonings as needed. Keep in mind that the flavor will mellow when it chills in the fridge, so I recommend erring on the side of over-seasoning the homemade ketchup. (I think the cloves mellow, as does the acidity of the vinegar.)
- Pour the ketchup into an airtight container and store it in the fridge until ready to use. This should last at least 2 weeks in the fridge, if not longer, but I like to freeze at least half of it in a glass mason jar so that I can keep the rest frozen for up to 6 months.
Video
Nutrition
Per ounce: Calories: 25, Fat: 0, Carbohydrates: 6g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g
Recipe Notes:
- If you’d rather not use dates in this recipe, feel free to use maple syrup or honey as a natural sweetener instead. I would leave out the water in this case, and then only add it as needed to thin out the ketchup at the end.
- I’ve made this homemade ketchup with both apple cider vinegar and red wine vinegar, too. I think white vinegar works best, flavor-wise, but feel free to swap another type of vinegar if you prefer.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried making your own ketchup yet? Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below if you try it! And if you make a modification, please share, as we can all benefit from your experience.
This recipe is amazing! Never buying store-bought again.
I did a swap of dates for cherries, my wife hates ketchup but loved this. Great recipie.