This is one of those basic but very flexible recipes. You can make this in a solar oven (any solar oven), or on a stove (inside or outside). Ketchup is one of those foods most of us never think about making from scratch, but it’s surprisingly easy.
Why Make Homemade Ketchup?
This homemade version starts with tomato paste and uses vinegar for tang, honey for sweetness, and a combination of onion, garlic, mustard, celery salt, black pepper, and a little cayenne for flavor.
One of the biggest benefits of making your own ketchup is that you control exactly what goes into it. There are no mystery ingredients, and you can easily adjust the recipe to suit your tastes. Prefer a sweeter ketchup? Add a little more honey. Want more tang? Increase the vinegar slightly. You can also reduce the salt, increase the cayenne, or experiment with other spices.
Homemade ketchup also gives you an alternative to commercial varieties that may contain preservatives, flavorings, or sweeteners you would rather avoid. That doesn’t automatically make homemade ketchup lower in calories or sugar, but it does give you much more control over the finished product.
What Does Homemade Ketchup Taste Like?
Don’t expect this to taste exactly like ketchup squeezed from a grocery-store bottle. Homemade ketchup has a fresher, more noticeable tomato flavor, with the vinegar and spices coming through a little more clearly.
The honey adds sweetness while helping balance the acidity of the tomato paste and vinegar. Cayenne adds just a small amount of heat, but you can leave it out entirely if you want a mild, family-friendly ketchup.
How to Make Homemade Ketchup on the Stovetop
You don't need a solar oven to make this homemade ketchup. The same recipe works just as well on your kitchen stove.
Combine the tomato paste, water, vinegar, honey, and seasonings in a small saucepan and stir or whisk until everything is well combined. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to gently simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently so the ketchup doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pan. Cook uncovered so a little of the excess moisture can evaporate and the ketchup can thicken.
Keep in mind that the ketchup will thicken a little more as it cools. If it becomes thicker than you like while cooking, simply stir in a tablespoon or two of water until you reach the consistency you prefer.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, allow the ketchup to cool, and transfer it to a covered container in the refrigerator.
How to Make Homemade Ketchup in a Solar Oven
Ketchup needs relatively gentle heat and occasional stirring, which makes it a nice fit for solar cooking. There’s no need to heat up the kitchen or stand over a saucepan on the stove.
Really, you can use just about any solar oven! You may have to adjust cooking time for your local sunlight and weather, as well as to the cooking capabilities of your solar oven. See the instructions below for two popular solar ovens, and adjust accordingly for your oven (if different).
For the All-American Sun Oven:
Simply mix the ingredients I list in the recipe card below into a thin-walled pot. Then cook the ketchup in that pot.
For the GoSun Fusion or Sport:
Mix the ingredients into a bowl. Then once well mixed, pour that into your cooking tray.
More Homemade Sauces and Rubs
Homemade Ketchup on the Stovetop or in the Solar Oven
Equipment
- 1 Solar Oven Sun Oven or GoSun Fusion
Ingredients
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 4 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the stovetop
- Combine the tomato paste, water, vinegar, honey, and seasonings in a small saucepan and stir or whisk until everything is well combined. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to gently simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently so the ketchup doesn't scorch on the bottom of the pan. Cook uncovered so a little of the excess moisture can evaporate and the ketchup can thicken.
- Keep in mind that the ketchup will thicken a little more as it cools. If it becomes thicker than you like while cooking, simply stir in a tablespoon or two of water until you reach the consistency you prefer.
For the solar oven
- Set the solar oven out to preheat. Try for 325 to 350 degrees.
- For Sun Oven: Pour tomato paste into a thin-walled pot. Add ¼ cup water into empty can. Pour into pot with paste. Add the rest of the water. Add all other ingredients into pot. Stir well.
- For GoSun: Same as above Sun Oven mixture - but just use a mixing bowl instead of a pot. Empty contents of bowl into the GoSun cooking tray.
- Cook for approximately 30-40 minutes (depending on oven temp). Stir once after 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from pot, or cooking tray, and let cool.
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