Quebec Fruit Ketchup

Ingredients

• 15 fresh tomatoes (use canned if the recipe is done in winter) or 2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes (use canned if the recipe is done in winter)
• 6 apples
• 3 celery ribs
• 1 mild green pepper
• 3 big onions
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon of dried cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons pickling spices (in a cheesecloth)
• 1 (28 ounce) can fruit cocktail

Directions

1. 1

   Peel and cut the tomatoes in big chunks.

2. 2

   Peel, cut the core away and cut the apples in pieces.

3. 3

   Slice the celery stalks thinly.

4. 4

   Cut the pepper, slice off the seeds and cut in small pieces.

5. 5

   Peel the onions and slice them to obtain nice thin slices.

6. 6

   Pour the fruit cocktail can through a sieve and keep only the fruits.

7. 7

   Put all the ingredients except the fruit cocktail in a big pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat so that it only makes little bubbles (slow to medium-slow heat).

8. 8

   For the whole cooking period, put 3 pennies evenly spaced on your burner to avoid the sticking in the bottom of your pot. Also, it is important to stir often: cook for one hour then add the fruit cocktail pieces and cook for another hour. The consistency of the liquid part of this ketchup is similar to a thick syrup and you can verify by putting a spoonful in a cold saucer when near the end of the cooking time.

9. 9

   Put in sterilized jars (Mason type) and close the lids.

10. 10

    Store in a dark cool place.