Homemade Ketsup

I have never made my own ketchup. I've made mayonnaise and many different salad dressings and sauces, but not ketchup. It's so easy just to buy it. Well, I have so many friends that are into fresh, clean, healthy and truly organic foods. They are into canning and preserving and putting up their own foods. I thought I'd give ketchup making a try. I researched a lot and found many recipes. This is what I came up with today.

1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

In a medium saucepan, combine the onion, carrot, celery, thyme, mustard, cayenne, cinnamon, tomato paste, honey and salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. 

Add the crushed tomatoes and vinegar.

Simmer until the sauce is very thick and flavorful,

about 20 to 30 minutes.

Let cool and place in a blender or

food processor and blend until smooth.

Strain to catch any chunks or un-processed pieces.

 Jar and process according to

canning instructions, or refrigerate.

The hubby says that it tastes like Heinz to him, but I plan on adjusting the seasonings to fit my taste. This recipe makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups, so you can afford to make a couple of batches to make it what you want or like.