Especially Potatey LOVES ketchup... and any gluten free, soy free, dairy free etc free store bought ketchup I would bring into the house would inevitable become the PRIME staple of what he would eat. EVERYTHING would get doused in ketchup. And I have no idea why (maybe the sweeteners? maybe some traces of corn?)
So I started making my own. And lo and behold, Potatey still likes his ketchup, but it is now truly a condiment/side -dish, NOT the main course.
I either use 2 cans of Muir Glen Organic Chunky Tomato Sauce (28 oz), or 4 cans of Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce (15 oz can). If I use *the chunky*, I run it throw the blender first so it becomes a nice, smooth paste (yes, defeats the purpose of chunky, but this is what I do).
I pour either the blended 2 cans of *chunky* or the 4 cans of *not chunky* in a large cooking pot (I am sure a crock pot would work too, haven't tried that yet).
I add 1 table spoon of Spectrum unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar, some salt and pepper (and if I have them, a few bay leaves), stir it all in and then I'll let the mixture bowl down and simmer (first at medium heat to get it going and then at low heat) for about 1 to 2 hours. You'll end up with a nice, thick sauce.
Once it's boiled down, I add two table spoons of honey. And a little more salt and pepper, as needed, to taste.
Voila, ketchup is ready. I make a batch probably once every 5 to 6 days. And I put the ketchup in glass jars and store it in my fridge. I should probably can the stuff properly, but as I go through it fairly quickly, I haven't had a batch go bad yet.
[I am currently experimenting with making ketchup from fresh tomatoes. I'll post the recipe once I have it together. One thing I CAN already share; you need a juicer if you decide to use fresh tomatoes]
Friday, September 12, 2008
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3 comments:
Petra, have you ever tried agave nectar in the ketchup? If so, what were the results? Thanks for this one!
Haven't tried using agave nectar, but can't think of a reason why it shouldn't work.
Just add the agave nectar all the way at the end, when the tomatoes are boiled in (need to check my recipe to make sure it says that for the honey version too). You really don't want the stuff to have to go through more cooking/boiling down once you add the sweetener.
Had a couple of ideas as I was reading this for the use of fresh tomatoes.
Have you thought about trying to add a little agar agar to your fresh tomatoes to help thicken it up due to the extra juice? Just an idea, not sure if it works.
Another thought that comes to mind, is a little Pomona's Universal Pectin the box says it's also used for sorbet, yogurt and pie in addition to jellies and jam and I wonder if you could add just enough to help with consistency.
Thanks for the recipe!
Carrie P. MO
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