Amish Tomato Ketchup

Title:
Amish Tomato Ketchup

Yield:
1 Batch

Categories:
Canning,
Sauces,
Vegetables




Ingredients:





     6    Celery ribs; trimmed


          -- cut in 1/4" thick slices


     2 md Onions (abt. 2 cups)


          -- peeled and diced


   1/4 c  ;Water


     3 lb Tomatoes; quartered


     5 tb Vinegar


     1 c  Dark brown sugar; packed


   1/2 tb Allspice berries


   1/2 tb Whole cloves


   1/2 tb Celery seeds


     1 ts Ground mace


   1/2 ts Salt






 Place the celery, onions and water in a medium-size saucepan over medium


 high heat, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until


 the vegetables are nearly soft, about 25 minutes.


 


 Meanwhile, cook tomatoes in a large heavy nonreactive saucepan over medium


 heat, partially covered, until they are very soft and almost a puree, about


 25 minutes. Add the cooked celery and onions; continue cooking until the


 vegetables are completely softened, about 15 minutes.


 


 Strain tomato mixture in small batches through a sieve into another


 nonreactive saucepan, pressing down firmly to extract all of the liquid.


 Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar and spices. Place the pan over medium high


 heat and bring to a boil.  Continue boiling, stirring often to be sure that


 the ketchup isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture


 thickens somewhat, 15 to 20 minutes. Allow ketchup to cool, then ladle into


 jars.  Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Or ladle the boiling-hot


 ketchup into hot sterilized canning jars. Seal according to the lid


 manufacturer's instructions.


 


 Yield: 1 1/2 pints.


 


 Loomis writes:  "This sweet ketchup comes from Mary Linebach, who owns and


 runs a produce auction with her [Mennonite] husband, Paul, in Shippensburg,


 Pennsylvania."  [Mary describes the ketchup by saying]: 'The children love


 it on pancakes...It's sweeter than store-bought and not as tangy...'


 


 "The ketchup is good on morning hotcakes (an Amish custom) as it is on


 Cheddar cheese sandwiches, as a dip for fresh vegetables or freshly baked


 bread, and as a condiment with roast or fried meat or poultry. And it has


 one distinct advantage over the most popular store-bought brand: You won't


 have any trouble getting it out of the bottle, because it's not thick."


 


 From _Farm House Cookbook_ by Susan Herrmann Loomis. New York: Workman


 Publishing Company, Inc., 1991.  Pp. 334-336. ISBN 0-89480-772-2. Typed for


 you by Cathy Harned.


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini