Heirloom Tomato Ketchup

Both store-bought and homemade ketchup contain lycopene, an antioxidant associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases. We found this rendition well worth making because it captures the vibrant flavor of summer tomatoes and has about half the sodium of regular ketchup. Serve with hamburgers, oven-baked fries, or with meat loaf.

Yield: 1 cup (serving size: 1 tablespoon)

Ingredients

• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2  teaspoon  yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2  teaspoon  celery seeds
• 1/4  teaspoon  whole allspice
• 1/4  teaspoon  black peppercorns
• 3  pounds  heirloom tomatoes, cut into chunks (about 4 1/2 cups)
• 2  cups  chopped onion (1 medium)
• 1  cup  chopped red bell pepper (1 small)
• 1/3  cup  cider vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

1. Prepare garlic; let stand 10 minutes.

2. Place mustard seeds, celery seeds, allspice, and peppercorns on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely.

3. Combine cheesecloth bag, garlic, tomatoes, and next 3 ingredients (through vinegar) in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove cheesecloth bag, and set aside.

4. Place half of tomato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Strain smooth mixture through a fine mesh sieve back into pan; discard solids. Repeat procedure with remaining cooked tomato mixture. Add cheesecloth bag, sugar, and salt to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1 cup (about 45 minutes).

Nutritional Information

Calories:

23 (8% from fat)

Fat:

0.2g (sat 0.0g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.1g)

Protein:

0.9g

Carbohydrate:

5g

Fiber:

1.2g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

0.3mg

Sodium:

79mg

Calcium:

11mg