Tomato ketchup

Method

1. Put the onions, tomatoes, garlic, 50ml vinegar and the water into a large saucepan over a medium heat. Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have reduced to a pulp.
2. Meanwhile, pour the remainder of the vinegar into another saucepan, and add peppercorns, spices, chillies and bay leaves and infuse over a low heat for 10 minutes. Remove and put to one side.
3. Using a hand blender or food processor, whiz the tomato pulp until smooth. Then rub the tomato pulp through a nylon sieve into a clean pan, making sure that you have extracted all of the pulp, leaving behind only the tomato skins and seeds.
4. Strain the infused vinegar into the pan, add the sugar and set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce to a simmer and cook until thickened and reduced to a thick consistency, about 500ml.
5. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Pour the ketchup into a jug and use a funnel to transfer it into sterilised bottles or jars. Seal immediately and cool completely before labelling and storing.