I read cookbooks like some people read novels. Historic cookbooks contain recipes for ketchup. These recipes sparked my curiosity because of their unusual ingredients. Early ketchup can be traced back to ancient Asia and it didn't contain tomatoes. Instead, it had a soy sauce base, mushrooms and pickled fish.
Denzil Green summarizes ketchup history in his article, "Daddies Tomato Ketchup," posted on the Practically Edible website. British and Dutch travelers tasted the condiment and tried to replicate it in the 1600s, according to Green, but it wasn't Asian ketchup.
Meat Loaf
The first recipe was printed in "The Compleat Housewife," written by Eliza Smith, published in England in 1727. Like the early recipes, hers didn't contain tomatoes. Anchovies, vinegar, spices and lemon peel gave the condiment its tangy flavor.
The condiment migrated to America and, in 1874, and "The Universal Recipe Book" contained recipes for it, Green notes. Making ketchup took hours and each family had its own version of it.
According to Lynn Kerrigan, autor of "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ketchup," posted on the Global Gourmet website, the word ketchup comes from the Chinese word ke-tsiap. As the recipe migrated the names changed: catsup, kotchup, kitsip, catsoup, and others. The Heinz company started making ketchup in 1872 and the recipe has never changed.
Ketchup has become a household staple. Americans slather it on hamburgers, French fries, hot dogs, and meat loaf. It is an essential ingredient in barbecue sauce and a hidden ingredient in Chinese stir-fry. Some salad dressings also contain ketchup.
Does the homemade product taste like commercial? The only way to find out was to make ketchup. I found several recipes on the Internet and all contained tomatoes, onions, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar. David d'Anjou submitted a recipe to the CD Kitchen website. Though it takes several hours to make his recipe, he says "you can do other things at the same time and the result is great tasting ketchup for the year!"
I started with an Epicurious website recipe, which uses canned tomatoes, a step that saves you all the muss and fuss of peeling. Since I didn't have any fresh onions I substituted dehydrated. Instead of whole spices I used ground ones. My ketchup had more depth of flavor than commercial brands. Homemade ketchup -- the kind that hasn't been canned -- will keep in the refrigerator for 10-14 days.
Ingredients
4 28-ounce cans of stewed tomatoes, drained
4 tablespoons dehydrated chopped onions
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Method
Open the canned tomatoes and drain juice into a bowl. Save this juice for soups, stews, and sauces. Put the tomatoes into a stainless steel kettle and crush with a potato masher. (Be careful, because juice will squirt out.) Add all remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for two hours, or until most of the liquid is gone. Remove cinnamon stick. Puree mixture with an immersion blender or food processor. Return to kettle and simmer over low heat until thick, about two hours. Cool (the ketchup with thicken as it cools) and ladle into jars. Makes about 7 cups. For less ketchup, make half the recipe.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson
Homemade Tomato Ketchup: Fun, Fragrant, Flavorful
http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 30+ years. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon.
Centering Corporation published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal with 100 writing jump-starts. The company has also published her latest book, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul."
Hodgson has another new book out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey: Words of Comfort, Words of Hope," also available from Amazon. Please visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
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