Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia / USDA-derived guidance)
Safety reviewed: 09/09/2026
Processing details
Altitude adjustment: Increase boiling-water processing by elevation: 15 min at 0–1,000 ft; 20 min at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 min above 6,000 ft.
Source & provenance
Safety summary
Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and preserve all tested ingredient proportions. Do not dilute vinegar, omit sieving or reduction, or use larger jars.
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling Water
- Pack style
- Hot
- Jar sizes
- Pint Jars
- Headspace
- 1/8 inch
- Processing time
- 15/20/25 min at 0–1,000 / 1,001–6,000 / above 6,000 ft
Tested source
Safety status: Tested authoritative recipe. Follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation source exactly.
Canning timeline
- Prepare the canner, jars, and ingredients.
- Prepare the exact tomato, onion, pepper, vinegar, sugar, and spice mixture; sieve and reduce as the source directs before filling hot.
- Fill pints only, leaving 1/8 inch headspace.
- 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
- Cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours and check seals.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner, heavy nonreactive stockpot, food mill or sieve, jar lifter, and pint jars.
Visual method guide
- Prepare: Select sound fruit or vegetables and measure exactly.
- Pack: Hot pack; remove air bubbles and maintain 1/8 inch headspace.
- Process: Boiling-water canning; use the schedule for your altitude.
- Cool: Keep jars upright and undisturbed before testing seals.
Safety essentials
Tested NCHFP acidified recipe. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and retain the tested vegetable and acid proportions.
About this recipe
Country Western Ketchup is a tested NCHFP home-canning recipe using hot pack and boiling-water canning.
Before you begin
- Method
- Boiling-water canning
- Pack
- Hot pack
- Jar size
- Pints only
- Headspace
- 1/8 inch
Read the authoritative source completely before processing.
Altitude and processing schedule
15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft; 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft; 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Affiliate disclosure: This recipe may contain affiliate links to canning equipment. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Country Western Ketchup — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 6 lb Ripe tomatoes
- 3 cups Onions chopped
- 4 Cayenne peppers Cayenne peppers seeded and chopped as directed
- 1 1/2 cups Vinegar 5% acidity
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Whole allspice
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Whole cloves
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner For the documented process.
- 4 Pint canning jars Approximate yield: 4 pints.
- 4 Two-piece canning lids Use new flat lids and prepare according to manufacturer directions.
- 1 Food mill or sieve For removing skins and seeds.
Directions
- Wash tomatoes. Dip in boiling water 30–60 seconds or until skins split, then dip in cold water. Slip off skins, remove cores, and quarter.
- Combine tomatoes, onions, and cayenne peppers; boil gently until vegetables are soft.
- Press the mixture through a food mill or sieve and return the pulp to the saucepan.
- Add vinegar, sugar, salt, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Boil gently while stirring frequently until the mixture is reduced to the desired ketchup consistency.
- Fill hot pint jars, leaving 1/8-inch headspace.
- Process pints 15 minutes at 0–1,000 ft, 20 minutes at 1,001–6,000 ft, or 25 minutes above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve with burgers, meatloaf, fries, roasted potatoes, or grilled foods.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the ingredients or process?
Only make changes expressly permitted by the authoritative source. Use vinegar labeled 5% acidity and preserve all tested ingredient proportions. Do not dilute vinegar, omit sieving or reduction, or use larger jars.
What if a jar does not seal?
Refrigerate promptly, or reprocess within 24 hours using a new lid and the complete tested process if current food-safety guidance permits.
How this recipe compares
Country Western Ketchup has its own tested vegetable and seasoning formula and is not interchangeable with standard or blender ketchup.
Troubleshooting
Reduce to the source-specified consistency while stirring often to prevent sticking and scorching.
Discard any jar that leaks, bulges, spurts, is moldy, or otherwise shows spoilage. Never taste food to determine safety.
Source & provenance
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Country Western Ketchup. Adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, revised 2009.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Summer, Fall
Months: July, August, September, October
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
40–80 lb of Tomatoes per person per year
The source-cited calculator below can convert your pantry goal into row foot estimates where compatible yield data exists.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.