home made ketchup

[ChrisGreaves]

The web abounds with recipes for ketchup using Real Tomatoes, but I found myself without ketchup and planned to have frenched fries for lunch so, I whipped out a can of tomato paste from my pantry and whipped up this recipe to whip up a small batch of ketchup, that fit nicely into two cleaned mustard squeeze-bottles:-

Code: Select all

1 can 370ml tomato paste
1 can 370ml water
1 cup sugar
½ cup vinegar

Stir well, simmer one hour, bottle
Optional: powdered onion, garlic, salt, celery, mustard, pepper, clove.

2022_11_20221118_121005.jpg

A small bottle of home-made ketchup.

This batch was fluid; an extra hour's simmer-and-stir would have thickened it a little. That or cornflour or even regular flour, in a pinch.
But my fries tasted good with the sauce, and that's what counts.

The tomatoes that were but seeds on July 1st decided to put on a show, so I might try boiling up the last of the green (unripened) fruits and making a green tomato sauce.
Cheers, Chris

[Skitterbug]

I didn't realize how easy making ketchup would be. Our garden is done for the season, but I may spare a quart or two of canned tomatoes just to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing!

[ChrisGreaves]

I didn't realize how easy making ketchup would be. Our garden is done for the season, but I may spare a quart or two of canned tomatoes just to give this one a try. Thanks for sharing!

Canned tomatoes feature in many of the recipes I saw.
FWIW Swyers had a 1Kg packet reduced to $1.99 this morning, so I picked them up. I shall essay with 1Kg ripe tomatoes, then move on to my green tomatoes.
This morning's recipe was more of an emergency recipe, when it is too cold to go out to the store.
Cheers, Chris
PS I am not good at remembering names, but I learned Donna's name very early on. She is the beautiful young lady who stocks the fruit and vegetables, putting au point material in a shopping cart. Including tomatoes. C.

[Skitterbug]

PS I am not good at remembering names, but I learned Donna's name very early on.

It is easier to recognize a person by facial features or as you mentioned, by how helpful she may be rather than by her name. It is frustrating to me how quickly the name of a person escapes my memory bank. Thankfully, good friends' names do come to mind quickly!

[LineLaline]

Gosh, I remember years and years (and possibly years) ago I suggested using fresh tomatoes, after which the addressed almost bit my head off and spat it out. Almost. So; I look forward to your essay on fresh tomatoes ketchup.
The green tomatoes though: are they really edible? Shouldn't you remove the 'seeds' from them before using them?
Oh wait, here's a link from a website I really like: https://laidbackgardener.blog/2020/09/1 ... poisonous/

[LineLaline]

Oh god... I wrote to Larry a few months ago because I read he was sick and asked how he was doing. He had been so kind before, and I just read that he passed away not even two months ago. I am so sad

[ChrisGreaves]

It is frustrating to me how quickly the name of a person escapes my memory bank. Thankfully, good friends' names do come to mind quickly!

I agree with you wholeheartedly, David.
Cheers, Christine.

[ChrisGreaves]

Oh wait, here's a link from a website I really like: https://laidbackgardener.blog/2020/09/1 ... poisonous/

I agree with the web site page.
Everything is edible.
Everything is toxic.
"edible" to me means it can be fed into the mouth. "toxic" means having a bad effect on you if enough is eaten to make you feel bad.
As for seed propagation, spot on. Mammals propagate fruiting plants by eating the seeds, and the fruiting plants protect the seeds with a shall or husk.
Cheers, Chris

[LineLaline]

Yes, true about the seeds. I had three oaks in a pot. Birds had brought them to my place. They did die though because I forgot about them but I remember how glad I was to have them. Birds also poop-sowed lavender and other nice flowers.

[ChrisGreaves]

Yes, true about the seeds. I had three oaks in a pot. Birds had brought them to my place. They did die though because I forgot about them but I remember how glad I was to have them. Birds also poop-sowed lavender and other nice flowers.

I especially like the story about how the ocean-potassium salts make their way to the mountain tops.
Nothing to do with upheavals over geological time, but of salmon swimming upstream to spawn, bears eating the salmon, and then trudging uphill to ...
Cheers, Chris

[LineLaline]

I especially like the story about how the ocean-potassium salts make their way to the mountain tops.
Nothing to do with upheavals over geological time, but of salmon swimming upstream to spawn, bears eating the salmon, and then trudging uphill to ...
Cheers, Chris

Oh, I didn't know! So much to learn yet, but there is not enough time to learn it all. I wonder, if I had a 'knowledge chip' inside me how the facts would feel without having memories attached to them. Now, I know salty poop is what I learned from you. If I simply would know the fact, it would be different and it would be something anyone would know the same way.

[ChrisGreaves]

... I know salty poop is what I learned from you....

As long as this news doesn't go public, I'm fine with that.
Scatalogically yours, Chris

[LineLaline]

... I know salty poop is what I learned from you....

As long as this news doesn't go public, I'm fine with that.
Scatalogically yours, Chris

Oh, you have every right to be proud of this feat. But I will respect your privacy