Amish Tomato Ketchup Recipe

Preparation: 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, allspice , cloves, celery seeds, mace , and salt. Place the pan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring often to be sure that the ketchup is not 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 Recipe Source: Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis (Workman Publishing) Reprinted with permission.