Tomato ketchup
Homemade tomato ketchup is a condiment made from fresh tomatoes, capsicum, onion, garlic and a hint of chilli. The Thermomix TM7 grinds the whole spices, simmers the vegetables hands-free and blends everything into a silky sauce. Using the preserving function, you can enjoy seasonal tomatoes all year round in a bottle free from additives.
About this recipe
Tomato ketchup with the Thermomix TM7 is the ultimate homemade condiment recipe for anyone who loves the classic bottle sauce but wants full control over the ingredients. Fresh tomatoes, capsicum, onion, garlic and a long chilli are simmered with wine vinegar, ground nutmeg, mustard seeds, peppercorns and a dried bay leaf until thick and intensely flavoured. As an all-in-one kitchen machine, the TM7 first grinds the whole spices for maximum aroma, then cooks the vegetable mixture hands-free while stirring automatically, so nothing scorches on the bottom of the mixing bowl. Finally the sauce is blended velvety smooth without needing a separate food mill or sieve. This is a brilliant preserving project for late summer, when tomatoes are at their sweetest and cheapest. Store the finished ketchup in sterilised bottles and enjoy a preservative-free, gluten-free and lactose-free condiment with burgers, fries or sandwiches for months.
Preparation tips
- Choose fully ripe, flavourful tomatoes for the ketchup; watery supermarket tomatoes give a thin sauce, so remove the seeds and excess juice before weighing them for a thicker, more concentrated result.
- Pour the finished ketchup while still hot into sterilised glass bottles, fill them right to the rim and close tightly; stored in a cool, dark cupboard the sauce keeps for months thanks to the wine vinegar.
- For a milder family version, remove the seeds from the long chilli or leave it out entirely; conversely, add an extra chilli or a pinch of cayenne if you prefer a ketchup with a noticeable kick.
- Sieve the blended sauce before bottling if you want an ultra-smooth, commercial-style texture; the pulp that remains can be stirred through a pasta sauce so nothing goes to waste.
Recipe variations
- Smoky variant: replace the fresh long chilli with a soaked dried chipotle pepper and add a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the nutmeg for a barbecue-style ketchup that pairs beautifully with grilled meats.
- Sweet apple variant: add a peeled, chopped apple to the tomatoes and capsicum; its natural pectin thickens the sauce and lends a gentle sweetness that children especially love on their fries.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Fresh grinding - The TM7 grinds mustard seeds and peppercorns to a fine powder, releasing far more aroma than pre-ground spices. [Multi-Function]
- Fine chopping - The Thermomix chops the onion and garlic cloves uniformly in seconds, so the ketchup cooks evenly without chunks. [Time saving]. [Time Savings]
- Automatic cooking - The Thermomix simmers the tomato and capsicum sauce hands-free with continuous stirring, preventing scorching on the bowl base. [Hands-free]. [Hands-Free]
- Silky blending - The TM7 blends the cooked tomato mixture into a velvety, glossy ketchup without a separate food mill or sieve. [Multi-Functionality]. [Multi-Function]
- Built-in precision - The integrated scale of the Thermomix weighs the tomatoes and wine vinegar directly in the bowl for a balanced sweet-sour result. [Built-in scale]. [Precision Control]
Ingredients
- fresh tomatoes
- red capsicum
- red onion
- garlic cloves
- fresh long red chilli
- white wine vinegar
- ground nutmeg
- yellow mustard seeds
- black peppercorns
- dried bay leaf