No-Cook-Bath Ketchup for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make no-water-bath ketchup for winter? Gather the ingredients. For ketchup, choose large, ripe, fleshy tomatoes — firm, not overripe. It's best to use tart apples, such as Granny Smith. Instead of apple cider vinegar, plain distilled vinegar will do, and add spices to your taste — you can cut back on them or add others.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the vegetables and apples well, then dry them. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, removing the stem end. Halve the apples, remove the cores, and cut them into wedges as well. Peel the onion and cut it into half-rings. It's best to cut the tomato and apple wedges thin so they pass easily through the meat grinder.

3. Step 3:

   

   Run the prepared ingredients through a meat grinder, using the plate with the smaller holes. You should get a purée-like mixture.

4. Step 4:

   

   Take a heavy-bottomed pot and pour the tomato purée into it. Set it over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Then cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook the sauce, stirring now and then, for about 45 minutes.

5. Step 5:

   

   When the time's up, take the pot off the heat and let the sauce cool a little. Then pour the tomato sauce into a blender and blend it until completely smooth.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the sugar and salt to the blended mixture. With this amount of sugar the ketchup comes out on the sweet side, so you can add less if you don't like sweet sauces. Pour the mixture into a sieve and press it through. Return the strained tomato mixture to the pot and cook for another 35 minutes. Keep the heat on its lowest setting and watch the sauce, stirring so it doesn't scorch.

7. Step 7:

   

   At the final stage, add the ground red and black pepper, pour in the apple cider vinegar, stir, and let the ketchup simmer for another 3 minutes. If the ketchup is very thick, you can stir in a little boiling water. Pour the hot ketchup into small jars and cool it; after that the ketchup is ready to serve. Like store-bought ketchup, homemade ketchup must be kept in the fridge. Enjoy!