So we’re big ketchup fans around here. Big ones. We are such ketchup fans, that about six months ago, my son even decided his name should be ketchup– and he refuses to go by much else. So, when we started going through the ketchup like crazy, I decided to dig out my old family recipe from my great grandmother, and make my own. But this ketchup held a lip-tingling secret… lots of spice! This spicy ketchup is the perfect pick for summer cook outs, but be warned, it bites back!

The spicy ketchup recipe starts off simple– with a peck of tomatoes. That’s roughly 17 baseball sized tomatoes if you aren’t familiar with a peck.

Cut your tomatoes up into small pieces, preferably over the large pot you’re putting them in so you don’t lose all of the juice on the cutting board. You’ll also want to add 3 diced onions at this point. They’ll be strained out later, but for now, they’re there to add some great flavor. Cook this mixture for an hour on medium heat.

After an hour, your tomatoes will look a little something like this– hot, bubbly, and with a lot of the juice out of those tomatoes.

Strain this into a bowl. You’re looking to remove all of the seeds, the skins, the onions, and any extra bits that are too big for smooth ketchup, but you want as much of that juice as you can get.

This is the hardest part of the process, I swear, and it’s pretty easy to do!

All of this strained out pulp and seeds? Set it aside to cool, then save it a pasta sauce– I’ll be back with a great pasta sauce recipe tomorrow, so don’t miss it!

As for all of the juice that we drained off? Place it back in the pot and start the seasoning process! You’ll want to add 1/4 cup salt, 1 Tablespoon dry powdered mustard, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a teaspoon of black pepper. You’ll also want 2 teaspoons of cayenne or ground red pepper– that’s where you get the spice from for this spicy ketchup! Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken.

As the tomato mixture thickens, bring 1 quart of vinegar and 1 cup of brown sugar to a boil in a separate pan. Once it comes to a boil, dump it straight into the tomato juice mixture carefully.

Continue cooking until the mixture thickens quite a bit, to the consistency of ketchup.

Bottle it up, and when it’s cool, it’s ready to be served alongside your favorite fries, some burgers, or hot dogs. Trust me, this ketchup will be the hit of any summer cookout– just warn people, it bites back! I love this ketchup because it’s unlike any other I’ve ever tried.

A few people ask me, though, “why isn’t it red?” Well, when you make your ketchup from home, there are no added dyes or preservatives, and that lack of dye means a richer, darker color. Don’t worry, that’s how it’s supposed to look, and it means GREAT flavor.

If you aren’t keen on spice, you can, of course, reduce the amount of ground cayenne that you put in, which will make your spicy ketchup, well… a little less spicy. I wouldn’t recommend adding more unless you’re spice crazy, but all of the listed spices can be adjusted for your own personal taste!

Secret Recipe Spicy Ketchup

2015-05-19 07:34:57

This recipe, passed down from a great grandmother, is perfect for a summer cookout-- but be warned, it bites back!

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Ingredients

1. 1 peck ripe tomatoes
2. 3 onions, diced small
3. 1/4 cup salt
4. 1 Tbsp ground dry mustard
5. 2 tsp cayenne pepper
6. 1/2 tsp clove
7. 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
8. 1 tsp pepper
9. 1 quart vinegar
10. 1 cup brown sugar

Instructions

1. Cut tomatoes and place in a large pot with onions.
2. Cook one hour over medium heat and press the slices through a strainer. Discard or save pulp and seeds for another recipe, or place juice back in pot.
3. Add salt and spices to tomato juice, then cook rapidly until it begins to thicken.
4. In a separate pot, boil sugar and vinegar. When it comes to a boil, then pour into tomato juice mixture.
5. Cook until thickened, then bottle and let cool.

Mama Plus One https://www.mamaplusone.com/

If you’re looking for the perfect summer fare, don’t forget to check out my favorite restaurant-style fry sauce recipe and french fry/steakburger seasoning! You’ll also love these Mississippi Mud Cheesy Potatoes, which make the perfect cookout side!

What’s YOUR favorite summer cookout must-have?