There is a moment, usually in late summer, when the village market here in Monte Lope Álvarez fills up with tomatoes so red and so ripe they practically smell of sunshine. Three kilos for €1.50. That is the moment to make this homemade tomato ketchup. Nearly Wilkin & Sons is built on 1.5kg of the best fresh tomatoes you can find, simmered low and slow with spices, passed through a food mill, and bottled to mature for at least three months. It is closer in spirit to the Tiptree version than anything Heinz ever put in a squeezy bottle. Patient, complex, and worth every minute of the wait.

This homemade tomato ketchup starts with the kind of tomatoes that actually smell like tomatoes — the deep, earthy, greenhouse warmth that takes me straight back to my dad's polytunnel in Lancashire. If you can find that quality of fruit, this recipe will reward you. If you can't, wait until you can.

How to Make Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 75 ml cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp runny honey (or sugar — honey gives a gentler, more complex sweetness)
• 1 tsp picante paprika
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground mace
• ½ tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground cassia bark or cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 5 cloves
• 3 cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• Water as necessary

I use honey rather than sugar — the same quantity works, though honey is slightly sweeter, so you may want to start with a little less.

Method

1. Place all the ingredients except the honey into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring from time to time and adding a little water if things start to look dry. The tomatoes will break down completely.
2. Remove the bay leaves and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
3. Pass the mixture through a food mill into a clean saucepan, discarding the skins and seeds.
4. Return the pan to a low heat, stir in the honey, and simmer for a further 10–15 minutes until the ketchup has thickened to your liking.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Pour hot into a sterilised jar and seal.
7. Store in a cool, dark place for at least three months before opening. The wait is worth it.

Yield: around 250 ml — one jar

This recipe is part of the Nearly Series — cupboard classics made from scratch in a Spanish kitchen. Explore the full collection.

Wonky photos, proper condiments, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef