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 retain the exact tested vegetable-to-vinegar proportions. Do not omit either reduction stage 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 tested vegetables and 5% vinegar, blend as directed, reduce by about half, then complete the final thickening step 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, blender, heavy nonreactive stockpot, 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 ingredient proportions.
About this recipe
Blender 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.
Blender Ketchup — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 24 lb Ripe tomatoes
- 2 lb Onions
- 1 lb Sweet red peppers
- 1 lb Sweet green peppers
- 9 cups Vinegar 5% acidity
- 9 cups Sugar
- 1/4 cup Canning or pickling salt
- 3 tbsp Dry mustard
- 1 tbsp Ground red pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Whole allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp Whole cloves
- 3 sticks Cinnamon
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water canner For the documented process.
- 9 Pint canning jars Yield about 9 pints.
- 9 Two-piece canning lids Use new flat lids and prepare according to manufacturer directions.
- 1 Blender For blending prepared vegetables.
- 1 Spice bag For whole spices.
Directions
- Wash tomatoes and peppers. Remove stems and cores; seed peppers. Peel onions. Cut vegetables into pieces suitable for blending.
- Blend vegetables in batches until smooth. Combine in a large saucepan and bring to a boil; boil gently until the volume is reduced by about half.
- Place allspice, cloves, and cinnamon in a spice bag. Add the spice bag, vinegar, sugar, salt, dry mustard, and ground red pepper to the tomato mixture.
- Boil gently, stirring frequently, until the ketchup reaches the desired consistency. Remove the spice bag.
- 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 as a condiment or use as a measured base for sauces and glazes.
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 retain the exact tested vegetable-to-vinegar proportions. Do not omit either reduction stage 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
This tested version intentionally uses a blender, while the tomato-paste recipe specifically prohibits blending; follow each recipe’s separate method.
Troubleshooting
Complete both reduction stages and stir frequently so the ketchup thickens evenly without 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: Blender Ketchup. Adapted from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, revised 2015.
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.