I tried making ketchup using a recipe I found, and I followed it closely, except I didn't manage to boil it down until it reached the right consistency. Instead, I filled my jars with ketchup that was still pretty runny before heading to bed. Despite reducing the mixture by half, it didn't thicken up like commercial ketchup. What's going on?
3 Answers
You might consider giving it another round of cooking! It’s usually fine to hot pack the ketchup again if it didn’t thicken the first time. Just check your canning guidelines to make sure you’re following safety recommendations.
Another tip is to let your ketchup sit overnight in the fridge. You may find that it separates a bit – the clear liquid will rise to the top. You can then spoon off that liquid, reheat the remaining ketchup, and jar it up again. This can help improve the thickness!
It sounds like the pectin content in your tomatoes might not have been enough to thicken the ketchup. Different tomatoes have varying levels of pectin and water content, so it's not just about the time you cook it but also the type of tomatoes you use. Cooking to texture and appearance is key, so maybe next time, keep an eye on it rather than strictly following the time limit.