I recently had the extreme pleasure of guest posting over on one of my all-time favourite blogs: Cup of Jo. I participated in her Dips & Sauces series in which I, almost reluctantly*, shared my recipe for ridiculously easy homemade ketchup. You all know that I take my food very seriously, and after being a dedicated Heinz girl for the entirety of my life, I will admit I was skeptical at the thought of a homemade version. But I assure you the stuff is ridiculous. And there’s a solid chance I’ll never go back to the bottled stuff again. It’s as simple as tossing a bunch of things in a pot, cooking it down and blending it all together. The best part is you know exactly what’s going in it, and can customize as you see fit (curry ketchup? jalapeno ketchup? the world is your ketchup-y oyster! mmm ketchup…)
*I say reluctantly because this recipe could very well go down in the super secret family recipe category, despite the fact that it’s not a family recipe at all. But it COULD be is what I’m saying. It’s one of the good ones and I couldn’t bear to keep it from the world!
Click for the recipe…
- 4 small bay leaves
- 4 or 5 whole cloves
- A small square of cheesecloth (can be found at any grocery store)
- 1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar (if you want it to really taste like Heinz, double it!)
- 1 clove of garlic, squished with the back of your knife
- 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. all spice
- 1. Place your bay leaves and cloves in the small square of cheesecloth, wrap and tie in a knot. Pour all the other ingredients (including your little cheesecloth bundle) into a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a simmer.
- 2. Once simmering, turn heat to medium and let bubble until mixture reduces by half (this should take 30 minutes). Stir every once in a while making sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Dig around until you find your cheesecloth bundle and throw it out. Purée the rest in a food processor or blender until smooth (make sure to cool before blending - hot things tend to explode in the blender creating a super painful mess).
- 3. Store in an airtight bottle or container in your fridge for up to 6 months.
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