Homemade Tomato Ketchup
ingredients
yield 1.5 litres (approx)
3 kg ripe tomatoes2 tbls salt600 ml white vinegar1 1/8 cups (250 g) 9 oz white sugar1/2 tsp each of ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and Cayenne pepper
method
1. Quarter the tomatoes, place them in a preserving pan with the salt and vinegar, and simmer until they are soft and quite broken up. 2. Rub the mixture through coarse muslin or a fine nylon sieve; then return it to the pan and add the sugar. 3. Simmer until the ketchup starts to thicken, and then add the spices to taste, a little at a time, stirring thoroughly. 4. Meanwhile, heat enough bottles to hold the ketchup, and prepare seal, a boiled cork to fit the bottle and either waxed or covered with greaseproof paper tied securely over. 5. When the ketchup is thick enough, fill the hot bottles, leaving a head-space. 6. Seal immediately, or allow the ketchup to cool slightly; then fill up the bottles, leaving a headspace, and sterilize at 88°C for 30 minutes. 7. Seal immediately. Label when cold.Note Remember that the ketchup will be thicker when cold, so do not reduce it too much