Homemade tomato sauce is very simple to make in the Thermomix, and contains a lot less sugar than the bought stuff, plus no preservatives and colours! Here’s how I make my sauce (or ‘ketchup’), which we use just as an everyday tomato sauce and also as a baking sauce for chicken, ribs, roast, meatloaf, etc.
When I’ve got to go out for the day, I often just throw some chicken pieces or beef ribs into the crockpot, pour this sauce over, and leave it to cook until tender (usually 4 hours on high, or 8 hours on low – except beef ribs which take about 6 hours on high and I add a bit of water so they don’t dry out). Adjust seasonings to taste, and try some of the variations below the recipe to get it just how you like it.
Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)
- Yield: 1
Ingredients
2 brown onions, halved
1/2 a head of organic garlic (about 6-8 cloves)
50g olive oil
800g tomatoes, halved
200g tomato paste or sun-dried tomatoes
80g apple cider vinegar
100g tamari or gluten free soy sauce
100g Rapadura or chopped dates, or 70g honey
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Place onions and garlic into mixing bowl and chop 3 sec/speed 5.
- Add oil and saute 3 mins/100C/speed 1.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend 30 sec/speed 9.
- Cook for 30 mins/Varoma/speed 3.
- Puree 30 sec/speed 9, turning dial up slowly to speed 9.
- Store in a airlock jar in the fridge, enjoy!
Variations:
You can play with the flavour, adding in one or more of the following if you like, and adjusting the sweetness (and sweetener) to taste:
fresh basil and/or oregano or chives
a little rosemary or thyme
black pepper
smoked paprika
a red chilli or chilli powder
a few sprigs fresh parsley
Note: In the fridge this will keep a few weeks. Or if you like you can put it into glass jars or bottles with screwtop lids that will seal well, then boil the sealed jars for 15-20 minutes to vacuum seal. This way you can keep it in the pantry indefinitely until opened. (After opening store in the fridge.) Thanks for this tip Bee!
Good work again Jo – love home-made tomato sauce
It felt so good to make my first tomato sauce in the thermomix, and I knew I could trust your awesome recipes. I cook mostly paleo with low fodmap, so I was nervous to see how this would go without onion or garlic. I used a combination of garlic infused and chilli infused olive oils (no actual garlic or onion), and there’s still heaps of flavour. Thanks Jo, I love cooking from scratch and knowing what’s in my food. You’ve really helped me to do this!
Hi,
tks for the recipe, how long can i keep this? i live in hot tropical country, do i need to store this in the fridge?
tks~ jackie
Hi Jackie, yes, it needs to be kept in the fridge. Ours has never lasted long enough to go off, even after 2 or 3 weeks – you can always freeze some in smaller containers if you’re not sure you’ll use it quickly enough.
Jo 🙂
Jo, I so appreciate your site and your recipes! Have just made your tomato sauce with the addition of a few chilli flakes. As regards methods of preserving these wonderful jars of goodies, I have used the old microwave for years – just clean your jars and lids soapy water, rinse and put the jars (not touching) in the microwave for 10 minutes. Put the lids in boiling water. When the cooking is finished, pour into the super hot jars and seal. They vacuum and will keep for a long time! Be careful transferring the plate with the jars out, they will break if they hit something! Best regards and long life!
Hi Lesley, thanks for the tips. Happy cooking 🙂
Hi There, Fab recipe! It was so nice I made two batches!
Just a note on how long it keeps – I found that if you put it into a well sealed jar and then boil that sealed jar for 15-20 minutes, it vacuum seals it and you can keep in the pantry indefinitely until opened, then the fridge it must go 🙂
Thanks Bee! I love your idea for keeping in the pantry – will add that to the recipe, thanks!! 🙂
Thanks Jo,
I was planning to make some sauce tonight, now I’ll give your recipe a go : ) x
Can I just ask what a rapadura is? I saw this in other recipes too. Thanks
Sorry Monika, forgot to link to my article about rapadura! Basically is dehydrated sugar cane juice – still has lots of vitamins & minerals in it, lots better for you than sugar, and has a lovely rich flavour. Delicious, and perfect in tomato sauce! Here’s a link to the article explaining it further: http://quirkycooking.blogspot.com/2009/07/rapadura-sucanat-muscavado-turbinado.html
This recipe looks amazing, been looking for one for a while that was a bit different. Love your blog Jo, havent found one yet whose recipes I agree with as much as yours 🙂
Thank you!! I’m glad my recipes are the kind you’re looking for 🙂
Hi Jo,
Love your tomato ketchup recipe. Have made it a couple of times now, however today was the first time with the all spice and cloves. The difference is amazing I thought it was great before but it’s now fantabulous!!!
Thanks
Lainy
That’s great, Lainy! Glad you like it 🙂
Can you freeze this recipe?
Thanks for sharing this. I’m trying it now but I’ve halved the sugar and the soy (my oldest loves sauce but she’s 2.5 so trying to limit salt and sugar for her). Hopefully it turns out 🙂
My little girl is allergic to soy, have you tried it with worchteshire sauce instead?
WS has soy as an ingredient, did you end up with another alternative at all? I was thinking coconut aminos sauce.
Another way to vacuum seal glass jars is to pour boiling water into the jar first all the way to the top. Then put your sauce in the jars, screw on the lids. They should vacuum seal then. To be on the safe side, stand upside down. They WILL seal then.
When u boil the jars to seel are they already full of sauce??
Hi jo my little boy is highly allergic to soy ( amongst other things) could I replace the soy with something else? Woistershire sauce maybe? Thanks Shelley
Dear Jo
Fabulous and generous Blog
many thanks your tomato sauce was a hit !
Hi, I don’t have apple cider vinegar at hand at the moment. Are there any substitutes I could use? We don’t have any food issues. Thanks!
Thanks so much for this recipe!! I have been sugar free for almost a year and replaced the rapadura with dextrose, turned out perfectly! Will definitely be making this again 🙂
Has anyone tried to ferment tomato sauce/ ketchup?
I have just made this and am pretty tempted to add some culture starter when it cools and put it aside for a few days. But then, the sauce tastes great and I’m afraid of ruining it!
G’day Jo! Your sauce is GREAT, true!
I used Xylitol and will be featuring your recipe 9giving credit of course) on my blog post later today too! Thank you for continuing to inspire and sugarless, TASTY is a BONUS for me!
Cheers! Joanne
Hey Jo,
Just made your sauce, love love love it! Now off to make your nut butter for first time to have with your banana protein smoothie!
You truly are an inspiration.
Thanks
Broni
Is it ok to use frozen tomatoes – will it make a difference?
That should be fine, Belinda, you just may need to cook it a little longer 🙂
This was great! I used 100g of the dates and they worked well, I only used 50g of tamari and topped up the other 50g with tmx veg stock and Worcestershire sauce, I didn’t have any ground ginger but added a chillie, basil, thyme and chives. Will make another batch tomorrow 🙂
Oh thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to give this a go!
I used Coconut Aminos instead of Soy Sauce as we also can’t use soy. Tastes great to me.
I have just made this.. It smells and tastes delicious! I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce, and dates but slightly less than 100g as the aminos are a bit sweet. I put a new chux cloth over the hole in the lid, and then the basket on top of that. There was no splashing of sauce onto the machine and it still allowed the steam to escape. Thanks for a great recipe Jo 🙂
Just made this, so tasty! If I wanted to preserve some in jars by boiling them, do I totally submerge the jars (full & sealed) in a pot of water or does the water only go halfway up the jars? Also, how long should I boil for? Cheers
Just borrowed my mum’s thermomix to make this… Lets just say I’m not giving it back! This recipe is soo delish! I used the dates & did half soy half Worcesterchire sauce. I added a bit of basil, thyme, rosemary & chilli flakes. Yum!! Will definitely make again.
Hi Jo,
I don’t have a thermomix but would love to give this recipe a try. Any tips for making it without a thermy?
Tracey
Hi Jo,
I have made this several times using the recipie at the top (have a batch on now). We have been lucky enough to be given a large amount of tomatoes and I have a massive amount of oregano in my garden. I wanted to make a second batch but with a different flavour so just wondering do I still use all the spices and add the herbs as well? How much fresh basil and oregano do you recommend and will it keep as long with fresh basil and oregano?
Thank you for your help ☺️
Hi Mindi- Yes, use all the spices as well as herbs. Do a handful of each, and it should keep just fine with the added herbs and spices 🙂
Hi this smelt and turned out great! I subbed the tomato paste for passata and I’m wondering if this is why the consistency was quite funny instead of thicker like normal ketchup? Does your version with the paste turn out quite thick? Thank u!
Hi there Kim – yes, it is meant to be thick. It is probably because of the Passata- it hasn’t been concentrated like tomato paste has. 🙂
Hi my sauce turned out quite runny. Maybe because I added passata instead of paste? Is your version quite thick?
Thanks!
Hi, I have a thermochef so I alter some steps. Can you help me with step 4? Can I just do this in the bowl or do I need the varoma?
Hi there – step four is done in the jug. It is meaning that you do it at Varoma temperature, not actually in the Varoma. Varoma temp depends on altitude and can be anywhere between 100-120* and the Thermomix works out the temp automatically. It just basically needs to stay at boiling point. 🙂 Hope this helps.
hi, i have the bellini, and was also wondering if there needs to be some adjustment for this recipe. i make my own black sauce on stove, so hope to find a bellini recipe for that too. thankyou, carmel
Hi Carmel, I don’t actually know as I’ve never used a Bellini – can you find a conversion guide online?
Just wondering whether I need to omit anything to get my tomato sauce tasting very close to the store bought tomato sauce as I have a very fussy son who would notice any subtle differences and the spices/seasonings listed I would have thought would have quite a strong flavor? Thanks in advance 🙂
I think you’ll need the spices, but it’s up to you! 🙂
Jo, I LOOOVVVEEEE this recipe!!! Thank you so much! 🙂
Just made this sauce and it is divine!!! Wondering though can you freeze it??
Yes, for sure!
Just wondering can you get away without the tomatoe paste?
I have a heap of tomatoes in my garden I’m going to cook up, so if possible would rather use more of them rather than buy tomatoes paste to add?
Yes just add extra tomatoes to fill the bowl, and cook for longer until reduced and thickened.
Hi Jo, I was wondering what I can substitute for the apple cider vinegar? As I cannot have it. Thanks!
Can you have any other vinegar, or maybe lemon juice? Not sure otherwise!
Thanks for this fantastic recipe! A coupe of weeks after making it I needed some taco sauce for enchiladas so I roasted some capsicum in the oven, peeled blackened skin off then blended the soft flesh in the TMX with a jar of this sauce. So rich and tasty.
Hi jo appreciate all the time that goes into your blog and recipes. One question about allspice I can never seen to find it at the shops, is it a blend you make at home or should I be able to buy it somewhere. If made what spices do you use in it?
you can find it in the supermarket 🙂
Allspice is also known as pimento, hope that helps
I’ve just made my first batch of tomato sauce using our own tomatoes that I picked this morning. I don’t actually like tomato sauce, but this is amazing. The flavour is so rich and tasty. My two boys (12 + 14) said it tastes really good. Thanks Jo, I love your recipes.
Hi Jo, I’ve made this sauce a few times and I love it. This time I halved the ingredients and it turned out very thick and dark, like tomato paste. Should I also have halved the cooking time?
just made my first batch of your sauce. Delicious. Thx for the recipe. But I am wondering if I can double the amount of ingredients for in a TM31….would there be enough space? Have you tried this?
I have been making this sauce now for years everyone loves it and I must admit we keep it refrigerated for 6 mths and it’s always still been good
I made this last night, I used coconut sugar but half the amount. This sauce is AMAZING!! I will reduce the coconut sugar to 1/4 of the amount next time – maybe coconut sugar is sweeter…
Thank you Jo for this incredible recipe!!