The first thing you notice about the cookbook The Homemade Pantry, (101 foods you can stop buying and start making) is the cover. It has a texture on it that feels tactile and yet practical, so that if you were to spill something on it, while you were re-making over your entire pantry, you could just wipe it off.
I love this book, but in the beginning I wasn't so sure. I stared at it and thought 'what's this book about, and why do I need it?' but then I realized that the clever author— Alana Chernila, has written a book about all the things we have in our pantry that we buy, regardless, almost without thinking, never realizing we could just make them, instead, from scratch.
The book contains the inevitable sauces and dressings, (Cranberry Sauce, Italian Dressing), yes, but the gems in this book are the recipes we think we couldn't possibly make, like Pop Tarts, and Granola Bars, Hamburger buns and Graham Crackers. (I want to make my own Graham Crackers!)
I can't wait till the end of Summer tomato glut hits the farmers market, to put a big batch of Ketchup together.
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HOMEMADE KETCHUP This recipe is from the book The Homemade Pantry, (101 foods you can stop buying and start making) Makes 4 cups
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced onion (1 large) 5 garlic cloves, minced 6 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cored, or three 28-ounce cans tomatoes, drained 3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional to taste 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon celery salt ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon dry mustard 1½ tablespoons chili powder, plus additional to taste ½ teaspoon ground pepper ¼ cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute, while stirring. Add the tomatoes, salt, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, celery salt, cumin, dry mustard, chili powder, and ground pepper and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender or transfer the mixture to an upright blender in two batches and puree until smooth. If transferred, return the mixture to the pot. Add the vinegars, brown sugar, and honey. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring often, until the ketchup thickens, about 30 minutes. Adjust salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste.
STORAGE NOTES: To freeze the ketchup, let cool before transferring to containers. The ketchup will stay in the fridge, covered for 2 weeks, but to freeze, place in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months thawing in refrigerator and whisk to re-emulsify, or to can, leave a head space of a ½ inch and follow normal canning procedures. Jars will last on the shelf for 1 year.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY JENNIFER MAY To purchase the book "Homemade Pantry; 101 foods you can stop buying, and start making" Click here.
Thanks to the girls at Random House (Emily and Allison!) for allowing me to print this recipe and to include the pic! x