Ketchup, also known as tomato sauce or red sauce, is a popular condiment consumed by Americans who spend $400 million annually on it. Its origins are from the Malay word kechap, and it was first made with an assortment of vinegar-pickled ingredients. The Heinz Company is the first major manufacturer of ketchup. Making ketchup at home involves cooking tomatoes with vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices until it becomes a thick sauce.
Ketchup is a popular tomato-based condiment. It is also known as tomato sauce, ketchup and red sauce, depending on regional variations. Americans especially love ketchup; they consume 400 million US dollars each year. The sauce is also used in a number of other nations from Australia to England, and as well as being used as a condiment, it’s also an important ingredient in some dishes, such as meatloaf.
The origins of ketchup are particularly fascinating. The word is borrowed from the Malay word kechap, for “sauce.” Sailors were introduced to the ubiquitous Asian sauces with fermented fish and vinegar on their voyages, and they brought these sauces with them to Europe. In the late 1600s, people were making ketchup in many parts of Europe, though not in a form that would be recognized today. This early sauce was made with an assortment of vinegar-pickled ingredients and might include a strong fish sauce, nuts, and greens. A version with tomatoes was first made by early settlers in America, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that “ketchup” came to refer to a sauce specially made with tomatoes.
The first major manufacturer was the Heinz Company, which got its name from the pickles but quickly became famous for its ketchup. The Heinz recipe creates a flavor familiar to many consumers, blending the tangy flavor of ripe tomatoes with a hint of sweetness and tartness for a hugely popular condiment that pairs well with a wide range of foods.
One of the hallmarks of ketchup is its stickiness, which can make it difficult to pour. Some consumers manage to get around this by using squeeze bottles, while others have perfect tricks for getting it out of a glass bottle. Typically, turning the bottle upside down and gently tapping it around the area where it spreads is enough to get the sauce moving, although storing bottles upside down is generally a good idea.
To make the ketchup at home, cut up about 5 pounds of tomatoes and cook them for about five minutes in a large, heavy skillet with 0.25 cup (59 mL) vinegar and 0.5 teaspoon (3 grams) salt. Mash the tomatoes as they cook, then pour them into a colander over a saucepan to catch the liquid. Mash the tomatoes through the strainer onto another pot to make a puree without tomato skins and seeds, and add 0.25 cup (50 grams) of sugar to this puree.
To the saucepan with the liquid, add about 0.5 teaspoon (about 1 to 1.35 grams) each of spices such as allspice, ginger, ground peppercorns, cayenne pepper, chili powder, finely chopped chiles, onion and garlic, along with 0.25 cup (59 mL) vinegar. Simmer until it turns into a thick syrup, then stir the solid puree into the liquid. Cook the ketchup to reduce it to a thick sauce, stirring thoroughly so the sugar doesn’t burn. Taste the finished sauce, which should be sweet and a little tangy with a hint of spice, and adjust the flavor as needed. Decant into sterilized jars.
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