Ketchup: homemade recipe

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Ketchup is perhaps the most popular and versatile sauce that allows you to brighten up almost any dish, be it pasta or potatoes, meat or fish. Unfortunately, in stores it is not always possible to choose a tomato sauce that meets all the requirements of taste and quality. In addition, in recent years, the observance of proper nutrition, consisting only of natural and environmentally friendly products, has become increasingly popular. In this article, we will tell you how to make ketchup at home, as well as look at the interesting history of its creation.

History of the sauce

The recipe for the progenitor of this tomato sauce, oddly enough, has almost nothing to do with today. Initially, ketchup was made from walnuts, anchovies, mushrooms, spices and garlic based on wine and brine from s alted fish. The sauce found such a composition in its historical homeland - in China.

In the seventeenth century, ketchup was first imported into Europe, namely to England. For two centuries, the British tried to maintain a real recipe for ketchup, despite the absence of many ingredients, until someoneI did not decide to add tomatoes to it.

Gradually, the sauce reached America, undergoing various modifications. Since the tomato season is short, the preservation of ketchup in those days was a rather difficult issue. For preservation, manufacturers sometimes used boric acid and even formalin, which made the sauce poisonous.

Yes, and today the composition of many tomato sauces, presented in a stunning assortment on the shelves of supermarkets, does not please with its naturalness and harmlessness. That is why we suggest you learn how to cook homemade ketchup. This process is quite simple and not very expensive.

How to make ketchup really tasty?

To get a delicious and fragrant tomato sauce, it's not enough just to find a good recipe. It is important to consider a few more points:

• When choosing tomatoes for making homemade ketchup, you should give preference only to ripe fruits, without damage and signs of spoilage. Moreover, greenhouse tomatoes do not have the necessary softness and aroma, and therefore you should choose vegetables grown in the garden.
• The rest of the ketchup ingredients should also be fresh, clean and whole. This is especially true for plums and apples, which are often affected by worms.
• To obtain a pleasant uniform texture, tomatoes and other components of ketchup must be repeatedly chopped in a meat grinder, and then rubbed through a sieve. To simplify this process, it is permissible to use an auger juicer, but it still does not allow you to achieve a completely ideal structure.

It would seem that there is nothing complicated in these tips, but without following them, you are unlikely to get a product with high organoleptic qualities.

Traditional ketchup

The recipe for homemade tomato sauce does not have a special abundance of ingredients, and each of them is really important. So, for its preparation you will need:

• 6 kilograms of tomatoes;
• 300 grams of sugar;
• 50 grams of s alt;
• 150 milliliters 6% apple cider vinegar;
• 2-3 garlic cloves;
• 20-30pcs cloves and the same amount of peppercorns;
• a pinch of ground cinnamon and hot pepper.

Tomatoes are thoroughly washed, cut into small cubes and boiled in a saucepan over low heat. When the volume of tomatoes becomes one third less, sugar is poured in, after which the sauce is boiled for five to seven minutes and s alt is added. After a few more minutes, you need to add cinnamon, hot pepper. Cloves and peppercorns are best placed in a cheesecloth bag before adding them to the tomatoes.

The sauce is boiled for about ten minutes with spices, after which the gauze bag is removed and the tomatoes are rubbed through a sieve. The fragrant tomato puree is again placed in the pan, chopped garlic and vinegar are added, brought to a boil and poured into sterilized jars.

This winter tomato ketchup recipe is just perfect. It will retain its taste and aroma throughout storage.

An alternative to fresh tomatoes

It happensthat there are no fresh tomatoes at hand, because their ripening season is not so long as to enjoy vegetables throughout the whole year. That's when ready-made tomato paste comes to the rescue. Ketchup from it turns out no worse than from ripe tomatoes, and the process of preparing the sauce is greatly simplified. Ingredients:

• tomato paste - 400 grams;
• water - 170 grams;
• onion - 110 grams;
• green apples - 220 grams;
• bell pepper - 170 grams;
• s alt - 20 grams;
• sugar - 50 grams;
• vinegar - 50 milliliters;
• spice to taste.

Vegetables and apples are thoroughly washed, peeled and cut into small pieces. Pour them with water and cook over low heat for an hour. The finished mixture is cooled and rubbed through a sieve, then tomato paste and spices are added to it.

The sauce is simmered for another 10 minutes, vinegar is added and put into jars. Tomato paste ketchup is also able to be stored for a long time, retaining its taste and beneficial properties.

Spicy tomato sauce

This ketchup recipe will definitely appeal to a true gourmet. The combination of delicate tomato puree, vegetables and spices can bring a touch of sophistication to every dish. To create it, prepare:

• 1 kilogram of tomatoes;
• 0.5 kilograms of sweet pepper;
• 250 grams each of onions and carrots;
• 50-60 grams each of garlic and hot red pepper;
• 40 milliliters of apple cider vinegar;
• 40 grams of sugar;
• 10 grams each of s alt, basil and ground ginger;
• 0.5 liters of water;
• a pinch of ground coriander;
• a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Carrots, onions and sweet peppers are washed, peeled and passed through a meat grinder. Basil and half a glass of water are added to them. The mass is stewed over low heat, while tomatoes, garlic and hot peppers are passed through a meat grinder. The tomato mass is combined with vegetables, boiled for 10 minutes, after which it is diluted with the remaining water and boiled again for 5-8 minutes.

The sauce cools, rubbed through a sieve and again sent to a slow fire. Spices, oil and vinegar are added, ketchup is boiled for 10 minutes and put into bottles and jars.

Interesting about ketchup

• Did you know that in its early days this tomato sauce was medicinal and even available in pill form?
• Scientists have proven that regular consumption of tomatoes dramatically reduces the risk of cancer and problems with the cardiovascular system.
• The largest "ketchup bottle" was built in Collinsville by the tower factory. Its total height was over 50 meters.
• Due to the high acidity of ketchup, this sauce can be used as a cleaning agent. It will easily remove grease and rust stains from metal surfaces.

In closing

Today we shared with you the best ketchup recipes, which you can now make yourselfyou can cook right at home. Experiment, add your favorite spices and spices to its composition. This sauce will certainly become a favorite among all members of your family, because it will be created by yourself.