Good Earth Almanac Catsup

One of my favorite foods was my grandmother's homemade tomato catsup, thick and tasty, made from freshly picked bright red tomatoes, it was a favorite with all the grandkids. Making your own catsup is actually quite easy, but it does take some time to cook it down to a good, thick consistency. The recipe below is for a 1 quart batch. If your family likes it, then you can increase the size of the batch.

Wash, core and quarter 8 lbs. of ripe tomatoes into large pan. Add 2 chopped onions and 2 cut up sweet peppers. Bring to boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Press through a colander. Take 1 1/2 t whole cloves, 2 three-inch sticks of cinnamon broken into small pieces, 1 t celery seed, 1/2 t allspice. Tie the spices in a cheese cloth bag and place in the pan. Also add 1 C sugar, 1/2 t cayenne pepper, and 1/2 t dry mustard. Simmer until liquid is reduced to less than half its volume, then add 1 C vinegar and 2 t salt. When consistency and taste suits, remove spice bag, pour into pint jars and pressure can.