Do not get me wrong, I have a soft spot for the one variety of 57 that has been a staple on nearly every table (or at least in every cupboard or fridge) I can remember since being a kid. And don’t get me wrong, it’s very hard to replicate it; to get that exact taste we all know. And don’t get me wrong I will still continue to use it while it is still available on this mortal coil. But hey, where is the fun if one cannot at least to try and make it oneself.
Ketchup or catchup is defined as a:
Spicy sauce made esp. from tomatoes (Oxford Dictionary)
Originally, tomatoes were not the weapon of choice when it came to ketchup – The old Brits (of which I am one…not the old bit mind you…some would disagree however) used to make variations of the sauce using ingredients such as mushroom, oyster, and walnut. The result was often a thick paste used as a condiment to many meals. However, some were the consistency of a thin sauce. The tomato version, which we are all familiar with now, is a middle ground between paste and liquid and was made popular in the USA in the late 19th century; and really from that point on ketchup never looked back.
But today I’m going to make my own; firstly because I love cooking and secondly I’ve got some tomatoes that look like they are losing the will to live, so need some pepping up before they reach the point of no return. The recipe I am using is based on one from that wonderful chef Fergus Henderson. For this adaptation however I have substituted white wine vinegar for malt vinegar (that’s pretty much what I had in) and a mix of dark muscovado (which will make the final ketchup a very dark red) and white sugar for all white sugar (reduces the overall sweetness but adds a caramel like depth). Also I have used a mix of tomatoes and substituted red apples (Pink Lady) for green apples. Once cooked it needs a few days resting for the ingredients to get intimate; and after that…wow.
Oh by the way…why 57 varieties? Well according to Ian Crofton in his amusing and insightful book ‘Curious History of Food and Drink’, in 1896 H. J. Heinz was riding in an elevated train and saw a slogan for shoes that offered ’21 styles’. Inspired by this he came up with the number 57, largely because he liked the sound of the number, but also because of the psychological relevance of the number seven and its influence on people of all ages. At this time the company had many more products than 57. So there you go. I’ll tell you what…let’s crack on with that tomato ketchup!
