I must admit I have somewhat of an obsession with ketchup. I’m the type of person that eats chips only if they are saturated with ketchup. Otherwise I just can’t eat them. I know it’s bad, I know it’s processed and full of salt, sugar and other unmentionables, but I love it. I’m not sure why I’m so addicted, it could be a nostalgia thing. As a kid I was only allowed chips and ketchup as a special treat, so maybe it’s the forbidden factor.
Ketchup is the one thing I will always have in the fridge. I am actually kind of fussy about the brand. It has to be Heinz and preferably from the glass bottle. For some reason I like it more from the old school glass bottle. I’ve tried other brands, but they never seem to have the right sugar, salt, vinegar ration. Heinz for me is the best. I’ve noticed a lot of new gourmet varieties popping up in the supermarket shelves but I have to say, I am sceptical.
Recently the OH decided to make some homemade ketchup in an effort to wean me off the processed stuff. He adapted this recipe from Hugh Fernley-Whittingstalls, but made his a tad spicier. This ketchup really knocked my socks off and I don’t think chips will ever taste the same again. Needless to say my bottle of Heinz was pushed straight to the back of the fridge….at least until all this delicious spicy ketchup lasts.
Roasted tomato base
– 1.5kg of tomatoes
– 4 cloves of garlic
– 1 tablespoon of olive oil
– Salt and pepper
– A few sprigs of thyme
Tomato Ketchup
– 650ml of roasted tomato sauce (see above)
– 65g of brown sugar
– 65ml of white wine vinegar
– Pinch of salt
– ½ tablspoon of ground black pepper
– Pinch of mace
– ¼ teaspoon of cayenne
– ½ tsp of paprika
– Pinch of cinnamon
– ½ tsp of cumin seeds
– ½ tsp of coriander seeds
– ½ tsp of fennel seeds
– ¼ tsp of onion seeds
– ¼ tsp of mustard yellow mustard seeds
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Roughly chop the tomatoes in half and place in a single layer in a large roasting dish. Sprinkle with the olive oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Chop the peeled garlic into thin slices and scatter over the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes in the oven for 45 minutes. They should be soft, juicy and slightly charred. Place the cooked tomatoes in a large sieve and force the juice through the sieve using a fork. Discard the skin and seeds left in the sieve. The tomato puree will be the basis of your tomato ketchup.
Place the tomato puree into a large heavy bottomed saucepan and add all the other ingredients. If you don’t have all the spices, you can substitute or omit. If you want to make it a little less spicy, leave out the mustard seeds or use less pepper and cayenne. Place the pot over a low heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer gently, for about 45 minutes. Stir every couple of minutes so the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
The sauce should now be rich, thick and well reduced, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. The flavour of tomatoes varies so much, it might be necessary to add extra sugar, vinegar, salt – you will only know when you try it. Leave the ketchup to cool, and then pour into sterilized bottles and seal. The ketchup should keep in the fridge in a sterilized Kilner for up to four week ….. if it lasts that long.
