Homemade Tomato Ketchup

The sweet tangy sauce is a must have condiment with most foods like chips, French fries and deep fried chicken.
Tomato Ketchup production is dominated by the food giant Heinz and you could get a bottle at your local stores.
However, for the DIY person, in this article am going to show you how you can make your own ketchup at home with local ingredients.

Here's what you'll need:
Ripe firm tomatoes (500g; about 10 big ones)
Sugar (50g; 2 heaped tablespoons)
Salt (50g; 2 heaped tablespoons)
Vinegar (50mls)
Onions (2 big ones)
Garlic (2 cloves)
Black pepper (half a teaspoon)
Lime (1 teaspoon)
Celery (1 teaspoon)
Chilli powder (quarter teaspoon)

Now let's get to it.
You need to cook the tomatoes, onions and garlic in water for 15 minutes.
Make sure the water is just above the tomatoes.
Next you'll have to blend the tomatoes with either a hand blender of transfer batches into your fruit juicer.
Sieve with a fine strainer then what you'll get is called the puree.
Cook the puree at low heat while stirring then add the other ingredients.
You'll have to cook for about 5 minutes then do a cold plate test.
If the cooked puree passes, cool and pack the tomato ketchup in a clean container.
You may add preservatives; here's a guide to using preservatives.

Must Note:
You must use firm ripe and unspoiled tomatoes, spoiled tomatoes will greatly affect the taste.
It is key to be clean and hygienic during the entire procedure.
Wash your packaging containers and rinse with hot water or a 2% Sodium metabisulphite warm water solution.
You can also play around with this recipe to make your own special ketchup.