Ketchup
Description
A delicious addition to everyday and festive dishes. It is believed that the ketchup recipe originated in China. Since then, not only the ingredients of this sauce have changed, but also the method of preparation. Originally, ketchup was made from anchovies, mushrooms, walnuts, kidney beans or lentils, wine, and spices. This sauce was called "koechiap" or "ke-tsiap," meaning "eggplant juice" in the Cantonese dialect. To give ketchup a spicy aroma, you can use various spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mustard seed, ginger, bay leaf, fennel, cloves, and others. Many home cooks first boil all the vegetables for ketchup, then strain them twice through coarse and fine sieves. I've found a quicker and easier method: I remove all seeds and skins beforehand, then simply cook the ketchup. Try my cooking method—I think it saves a lot of time. It's perfect served with pasta, meat, and vegetables.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
1. Prepare the vegetables, wash everything thoroughly. Let's get started! Prepare a container for cooking the ketchup; a stainless steel pot with a double bottom is best, so nothing will burn.
- 2
Step 2
2. Cut the tomatoes into 4 pieces, then pass them through a tomato juicer. This will yield a thick juice without seeds and skins.
- 3
Step 3
3. Place the bell pepper in boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes, then rinse with ice water and the skin will easily peel off by hand. Put the pepper into tomato juice.
- 4
Step 4
4. Cut the apples into 4 pieces, remove the cores and peel. Add them to the juice and pepper.
- 5
Step 5
5. Simmer the mixture for 1 hour. During this time, the vegetables should cook thoroughly and become soft.
- 6
Step 6
6. Now use an immersion blender (or a stand blender) to puree the ketchup. Add salt, sugar, spices, vinegar, and cook for another 30–40 minutes. The main goal is to achieve the desired ketchup consistency, but remember that the ketchup shouldn't be too thick—it's a sauce, not a paste. Also, keep in mind that the sauce is more liquid when hot, but thickens as it cools down.
- 7
Step 7
7. My ketchup is ready! I reduced it by 50%.
- 8
Step 8
8. Pour the hot sauce into sterile jars or bottles (whatever you have) and seal with lids. Invert them upside down until completely cooled, then store in a cool place. Keep the opened sauce only in the refrigerator!