Tomato Ketchup

Have you ever tried homemade ketchup?  My ami used to make it for us when we were kids, and let me tell you it tastes way better then the store bought ketchup, it easy to make and all natural, the plus point is you know what exactly is going in your homemade ketchup....

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 kg Tomatoes (roughly chopped)

2 medium onions (roughly chopped)
3 garlic cloves
2 cups of water
1 1/2 cup sugar 
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1-2 tsp salt
½ tsp red chili powder (you can use up to 1 leveled tsp of red chili powder)
3 cloves
8-10 black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin 
1 stick of cinnamon

Method: 

1) Add cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, cloves and back peppercorns in a piece of cheese cloth. Tie the corners of the cheese cloth together to make a little bag. 

2) Put tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves along with 2 cups of water in a pot. Simmer the sauce for an hour on medium heat. (Do remember to stir it every now and then). 

3) After about an hour or so, take it off the heat take out the spices bag, let the sauce cool slightly then blend it in a blender. Press the blended ketchup through a sieve, it takes a while, there should be nothing left in the sieve but skin and seeds.

4) Now return the sauce to pan and add in sugar, salt, red chili powder and vinegar bring to boil then simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat or until it reaches desired consistency, stirring often.

5)  Let it cool down then pour in to sterilized jar/ bottles, seal tightly and place in a cool dark place or the fridge until needed. It should keep for six months.