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Ketchup

United States

Ketchup began as a fermented fish sauce in Southeast Asia that British traders brought home. Tomato ketchup took off in 19th-century America, and Heinz bottled its version in 1876.

Homemade tomato ketchup — sweet, tangy and spiced, far richer than the bottled kind. Perfect with fries, burgers and hot dogs.

Authentic United States Ketchup recipe
Prep
10 mins
Cook
1 hr
Difficulty
Easy
Calories
25 kcal
Serves
12
Calories are an estimate based on ingredients used

Ingredients

800gtinned chopped tomatoes
1small onion, roughly chopped
150mlapple cider vinegar
100glight brown sugar
2 tbsptomato purée
1/2 tspground allspice
1/4 tspground cloves
1/2 tspcelery salt
1 tspsalt

Method

1

Put all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring.

2

Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, stirring often, until thick and reduced by about half.

3

Blend until completely smooth, then pass through a sieve for a glossy finish.

4

Return to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes more if it needs thickening. Taste and adjust the sugar, vinegar and salt.

5

Cool, then pour into clean jars or bottles. Keeps for 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

Chef's Tip

The ketchup thickens as it cools, so don't over-reduce it on the hob. Let it sit for a day before using and the flavours deepen.

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Some recipe photos courtesy of Openverse and Wikimedia Commons contributors, used under Creative Commons licenses.
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