Refreshing Ketchup

Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb. ripe organic tomatoes - 1 1/4 lb. apples, sweet and tart - 3 onions, preferably sweet red onions, yummmm - 1 c. sugar or substitute natural sweetener like Stevia (be careful, sweet apples may be all you want in terms of sweetness. . .let it cook a while and taste before adding sugar) - 2 c. apple cider vinegar - 3 Hungarian peppers - 5 radishes - 2 small beets - 6 each: peppercorns, allspice, cloves
Instructions
I got the basic recipe from Cindy Pawlyn's book "Big Small Plates" and added radishes and Hungarian peppers for spice and beets for sweetness and depth of flavor. This recipe makes a boatload, but it makes a great gift. This is a VERY EASY recipe: 1. Roughly chop the veggies and put all the ingredients in a stainless steel (not aluminum!) pot and simmer for at least a couple of hours. Stir frequently! 2. Allow to cool, then use a hand blender or food processor to puree. 3. Return to the pot and simmer at the lowest temperature until it thickens. Keep an eye on it and stir frequently so it doesn't burn on the bottom. 4. Pawlyn's book says to strain the ketchup, but I don't bother with that. Bottle in sterilized containers and refrigerate.