This does take a little work, but the results are completely amazing. Move over Heinz...As a bonus, you get about a quart of tomato water, which makes a great bloody mary, or heat it and serve it in a small demitasse as an amuse bouche.
11 Pounds Ripe Tomato, ~ 12C drained sauce
5 Chiles, we use a mix of Jalapenos and Black Hungarians, stemmed and seeded and cut in half lengthwise
2 Onions, peeled
12 Cloves Garlic
2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Colman's Dry Mustard, mixed with 1 Tablespoon of cold water to make a paste
1 Teaspoon Grated Fresh Ginger
1 3-inch Piece of Cinnamon
1 2-inch Piece of Vanilla Bean
1 Tablespoon Whole Black Peppercorns
2 Teaspoons Freshly Ground Nutmeg
2 Teaspoons Fennel Seeds
2 Cardamom Pods, broken open
1 Teaspoon Whole Cloves
1 Teaspoon Whole Juniper Berries
Sea Salt, to taste
- Smoke about 1/4 of the tomatoes and all the chiles. Put them in a large heavy pot.
- Core and cut tomatoes and put them in the pot.
- Puree onions and garlic in a food processor. Add to tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
- Put tomatoes through a food mill to remove seeds and skin. Drain off some of the tomato water through a very fine sieve and save for another use. Rinse out the pot and return tomatoes to the pot.
- Stir in the vinegar, sugar, mustard paste and ginger. Put all the other ingredients, except the salt, in an herb infuser or 4 layers of cheese cloth tied closed, and add it to the pot, pushing it down so that it is fully submerged.
- Simmer the ketchup over extremely low heat for about 2 1/2 hours. Check periodically, and skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
- Remove from heat and remove the herbs. Let cool a little and puree in batches in a Vitamix or other blender.
- Add salt to taste. Return to low heat and reduce to desired consistency.
- Ladle the ketchup into scalded half-pint jars and process in a water bath for 15 minutes.
The tomato water freezes well in a Zip-Loc-type bag, so that you can have a taste of summer in the middle of winter.
