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Makes 2½ pints
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 dried chili, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
4 lbs/ about 2 kgs fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon whole allspice berries
½ teaspoon dried mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 whole cloves
½ cup white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
sea salt
Cook onion and garlic in oil in a medium-sized cast iron pot until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper, bay leaves and cinnamon stick, stir to mix. Add chopped tomatoes and turn the heat to high, stirring to distribute the spices among the tomato cubes.
Wrap the allspice berries, mustard seeds, black pepper and cloves in a cheesecloth or place in a tea filter bag. When the tomato/onion mixture starts to boil and bubble, add the bag of spices to the pot and reduce the heat to medium low, letting the tomatoes soften, about 45 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat, remove the bag of spices, bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until you get a thick red pulp.
Strain the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl, discarding any solids that remain. Return the strained mixture to the pot, add the vinegar and sugar, bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom of the pot from caramelizing. At this stage, let the mixture reduce until it reaches your desired ketchup consistency, even if it takes more than 60 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
Ladle into glass jars and let cool before sealing. Ketchup will keep for 3 weeks to a month in the refrigerator.