Healthy Homemade Ketchup
There’s something so satisfying about making your own pantry staples from scratch, and homemade ketchup is one of those recipes that instantly upgrades everyday meals. It’s rich, tangy, slightly sweet, and packed with real ingredients you can actually feel good about. No mystery additives, no overly processed sugars, just simple flavors coming together in the best way.
Whether you’re dipping crispy fries, spreading it on a burger, or adding a little extra flavor to your favorite comfort foods, this homemade version brings a depth you just don’t get from store-bought bottles. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to make and completely customizable to your taste. Once you try it, you might never go back.
Homemade Ketchup
Ingredients
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes (I like to use my home-canned tomatoes)
- ½ cup water, divided
- ⅔ cup white sugar
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ¾ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp celery salt
- ⅛ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Pour crushed tomatoes into the slow cooker. Swirl 1/4 cup of water in each emptied can and pour into the slow cooker.
- Add sugar, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, celery salt, mustard powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and clove; whisk to combine.
- Cook on High, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by half and very thick, 10 to 12 hours. Stir every hour or so. It truly is important to cook it this long to get a nice, thick ketchup.
- Use an immersion blender for about 20 seconds to smooth the texture of the ketchup.
- If you want to de-seed, you can ladle ketchup into a fine strainer and press the mixture with the back of a ladle to strain out any skins and seeds. Or you can use a food mill. I don’t always do this step.
- Transfer strained ketchup to a bowl. Cool completely.
- Taste and adjust salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper as desired.
Notes
Chef Tips:
- Blend for smoothness – If you prefer that classic silky texture, use a blender or immersion blender after cooking to smooth everything out.
- Adjust to your taste – Like it sweeter or tangier? Easily tweak the balance by adding a little more sweetener or vinegar at the end.
- Let it chill before serving – Ketchup tastes even better after it’s had time to cool and rest in the fridge. The flavors continue to develop as it sits.
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Hi, my name is Kate.
I love food. Real food. We eat all of the things that nursing school taught me were bad for you: butter, eggs, bacon, and raw milk.
I am a Nurse, a Mom, and a Real Food loving blogger. Just trying to save the world.