It's time to Ketchup!

I know this title is corny, but I couldn't resist. Yes, I've been on a bit of a hiatus; I'm working on my Ph.D. I need to catch you all up on what we have done recently and yes, one of those activities was making ketchup for the first time. Instead of me giving all of the details, let's hear from Gardener James and Gardener Jerry too.

Making Ketchup

Gardener James

We picked tomatoes from the garden. After cleaning them, my mom made an X on the bottom of each tomato and put it in in a pot of hot water. Then, she put the tomatoes in a bowl of cold water. My brother and I peeled the tomatoes from the bottom where the X was and ripped off the skin. We put the skin inside of a cup. Then, my mom told us to leave the kitchen and take a break.

Gardener Shicole

While my boys took a break in the living room, I cut up some onions and peppers. I placed the peeled and chopped tomatoes with the onions and peppers on the stove to cook until tender. Next, I puréed the the mixture in my food processor. Then, I asked my boys to return to help me measure and mix together the sugar, paprika, salt, and allspice.

Gardener James

Then, Mom called us back to the kitchen. We mixed together spices and added them to the pot. Mom said it had to cook for a long time, so we left the kitchen again until it was done.

Gardener Jerry

When we came back, we tasted the ketchup. It felt kind of mushy in my mouth. I could see the spices in it and it tasted really good because the tomatoes came from our garden. You can eat tomatoes by themselves, but I like tomatoes made into ketchup better.

Gardener Shicole

Check out our photos of the process!

Remember, anyone can be a gardener. You just need to get ready, get set, and grow!