Freezer Tomato Catsup

Freezer Tomato Catsup

If you have some extra tomatoes you might want to try making your own catsup. You can play with seasonings for fun. Maybe make yours extra spicy or add horseradish. I like it so much more than the commercial stuff. Freeze some for later- but leave some out to enjoy.

Freezer Tomato Catsup

1 stick, cinnamon, broken

1 t. whole cloves

1 t. mustard seed

1 t. celery seed

1 c. vinegar

8 lbs. tomatoes

1 c. chopped onion

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 c. sugar

1 T. salt

Combine cinnamon with cloves, mustard seed and celery seed in a large tea ball or tie up in cheesecloth. Add to vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat at let stand. Core and cut up tomatoes and combine in a saucepan with onions and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are soft and press through a strainer or food mill. Combine sugar with tomato pulp and salt in saucepan and simmer until reduced by half. Remove spices from vinegar and add vinegar to tomato mixture. Simmer, stirring often until desired consistency is reached, about 30 minutes. Cool. Ladle catsup into freezer containers leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal, label and freeze. Makes about 5 half-pints.