Green Tomato Ketchup

green tomato ketchup
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 4 hrs 15 mins
Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
Total: 9 hrs
Servings: 80 servings

Preserve your end-of-season green tomatoes with this homemade ketchup. The ketchup is a tangy, sweet-sour medley of green tomatoes, onions, honey, vinegar, and spices. 

This tasty ketchup makes a delicious topping for burgers and sandwiches or you can serve it as a dip for fries or chicken fingers.

Ingredients

  • 6 pounds green tomatoes (about 1 dozen tomatoes)

  • 3 pounds onions (about 3 to 4 large onions)

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  •  2 teaspoons mixed pickling spices, optional

  • 2 cups white vinegar

  • 1 cup honey

  • Kosher salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Slice or chop the green tomatoes and onions; place them in a large Dutch oven or stockpot with the pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Put the mixed pickling spices (if using) in a small cheesecloth bag and add to the mixture.

  3. Pour vinegar over all and cook for about 4 hours over very low heat, stirring occasionally.

  4. Working in 3 or batches, carefully puree mixture in a blender or blend it in the pan with a stick blender. Wipe out the pan used to cook the green tomatoes.

  5. Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the ketchup mixture. Discard the seeds and solids left behind in the strainer. 

  6. Return the ketchup mixture to the Dutch oven or stockpot and bring to boil; add the honey. Taste and add salt, as needed. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook uncovered until thickened. 

  7. Meanwhile, fill a water bath canning kettle with water; add the jars and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low.

  8. Put the sealing lids in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a gentle boil; remove the pan from the heat.

  9. Immediately fill the sterilized pint jars, leaving a headspace of 1/4-inch.

  10. Wipe the jar tops and threads clean with clean damp towels or paper towels.

  11. Place the hot sealing lids on the jars and apply the screw-on rings; avoid over-tightening.

  12. Place the jars in a rack and lower them into the water bath canner. The water should be at least 2 inches above the tops of the jars. Add more hot water, if necessary, and bring the water to a boil. Maintaining a gentle boil, process the full 1-pint jars for 15 minutes.

  13. Carefully remove the jars and cool completely. Try to avoid tilting the jars and do not shake them.

  14. The depression in the center of the lid should have popped down. If the center "button" of the lid is not depressed, the jar is not sealed and must be refrigerated. 

  15. Let jars of green tomato ketchup stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store unopened sealed jars in a cool, dry place up to one year. Store any unsealed or opened jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. 

  16. The recipe makes about 4 to 6 pints of green tomato ketchup.

    Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

    Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tip

  • Aside from the essential jars and lids, canning kettle, and racks, there are many helpful pans and utensils on the market for home canning enthusiasts. Jar lifting tongs, lid holders, a magnetic lid wand, and wide-mouth and narrow-mouth jar funnels make the task much easier. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
30 Calories
0g Fat
7g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 80
Amount per serving
Calories 30
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 10mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 102mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)