Recipe: Tomato Catsup (homemade)

TOMATO CATSUP

1 peck (12 1/2 pounds) ripe tomatoes
2 medium onions
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons broken stick cinnamon
1 tablespoon whole cloves
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons salt

WASH and slice tomatoes and boil until soft. Into another kettle slice the onions. Cover with a small quantity of water and cook until tender. Run the cooked onions and tomatoes through a sieve. Mix the onion and tomato pulp. Add the cayenne pepper. Boil this mixture rapidly until it has been reduced to about 1/2 original volume.

Place vinegar in an enamel pan; add a spice bag containing the cinnamon, cloves and garlic. Allow this to simmer for about 30 minutes, then bring to boil. Place cover on pan and remove from heat. Allow this to stand in covered pan until ready to use.

When tomato mixture has cooked down to 1/2 original volume, add mixture, of which there should be 1 and 1/4 cups. Add the paprika, sugar and salt and boil rapidly until thick. This should require about 10 minutes. Pour while boiling into sterilized jars to within 1/2 inch of top. Put on cap, screw band firmly tight. Process in Boiling Water Bath 20 minutes. Yield: 6 pints.