CATSUP
This recipe makes a little less than 1 quart of catsup, depending on the size tomatoes you use. You will not need to bottle and process this amount, just pour it into a refrigerator container and keep it chilled.
Ingredients
¼ cup white or cider vinegar
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken in small pieces
½ teaspoon whole cloves
½ teaspoon celery seed
6 large ripe tomatoes
½ cup water
¼ cup minced onion
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Dash cayenne pepper
1. Measure the vinegar, cinnamon, cloves and celery seed into a saucepan and boil 1 minute. Remove them from the heat, pour into a custard cup or other container and set aside.
2. Cut the stems from the tomatoes and quarter them into a saucepan. Add the water and onion and heat to boiling. Stir with a wooden spoon to mash the tomatoes.
3. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 20 minutes.
4. Press through a sieve or food mill. If you do not mind chunky catsup with a few seeds, blend the catsup in a blender.
5. Return the puree to the saucepan, stir in the sugar, salt and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 30 to 45 minutes or until reduced to about Vt its original volume.
6. Strain the vinegar-spice mixture into the catsup and simmer another 10 to 30 minutes (depending on how thick you would like your catsup).
7. Remove from the heat and cool.
8. Store in the refrigerator in a clean container with a tight-fitting lid.
