Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)

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.

Note: This sauce won't be quite as red as bought tomato sauce, but tastes very rich and delicious!

Tomato Sauce (Ketchup)
Makes 1 litre

2 brown onions, halved
1/2 a head of 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 coconut sugar or chopped dates
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

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.

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!