If you’ve ever flipped over a ketchup bottle and paused at the ingredient list, you know the feeling — added syrups, preservatives, and ingredients you can’t quite pronounce. Homemade ketchup changes all of that. This version is made with real tomato paste, real spices, and simple pantry staples you can actually recognize and trust. No fillers, no artificial flavors, no “extra stuff” hiding in the background — just clean, wholesome flavor you control from start to finish.
It’s the kind of recipe that brings you back to the basics of homemade food: slow simmered, thoughtfully seasoned, and preserved the old-fashioned way. When you can your own ketchup, you’re not just stocking your pantry — you’re choosing quality over convenience and flavor over factory-made shortcuts.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Ketchup
- Uses simple pantry spices
- Naturally thick and flavorful
- Perfect balance of sweet + tangy
- Water bath canning friendly
- Great for long-term pantry storage
Homemade Ketchup Ingredients
- Organic tomato paste
- water
- white distilled vinegar
- cane sugar
- brown sugar
- salt
- ground cloves
Storage
- Shelf life: Up to 12–18 months in a cool, dark pantry
- Refrigerate after opening and use within 1 month
Once you taste homemade canned ketchup, the store-bought bottle just doesn’t hit the same. It’s richer, cleaner, and made exactly how you like it — plus those jars lined up on your pantry shelf? Pure kitchen pride.
Perfect for gifting, stocking your pantry, or elevating everyday meals with a homemade touch.
Equipment Used to make this Homemade Ketchup Canning Recipe
OXO squeeze bottle
Water Bath Canner
Whisk
Pint Wide Mouth Jars
Jar Lifter
Bamboo Spurtles
Canning Funnel
Stockpot
– 6 quart fits this batch perfectly
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Chocolate Milk Concentrate: Canning Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 cups cane sugar
- 3 cups cocoa powder
- 6 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Add 1/2 pint jars to canner and get water bath canner heated up.
- In a large stockpot, add sugar, cocoa powder, water and salt. Whisk together.
- Place on medium heat. Continuing whisking until sugars are dissolved and looks glossy. No need to hard boil here.
- Remove from heat.
- Whisk in vanilla bean paste.
- Remove 1/2 pints from canner. Dump out water and fill with chocolate concentrate to about 1/2” headspace. Wipe rims with a vinegar rag.
- Place lids and rings on fingertip tight.
- Add to canner. Place lid on and once it hits a rolling boil, can for 15 minutes.
- Once 15 minutes is up, shut off heat and remove the lid. I leave for about 15 minutes. Then raise the canning grate up so jar tops are out of the water. Let sit another 10 minutes or so. You should hear the lids start to pop and seal. Hooray!
- Remove and set on a towel for a day then store in a cool dark place for up to a year or two. Or longer if preferred.
