Alison McQueen

Random people and things I love...

The best home-made tomato ketchup EVER

I realise that it’s highly unlikely any of us in the UK will have much luck with growing tomatoes this year, but I remain an eternal optimist. There is no better fate for a tomato than to be transformed into the best tomato ketchup you’ve ever tasted. It’s quite a lengthy process, so best have a bottle of wine open on the side.

This is nothing like the stuff you buy in the shops, which has very little to do with tomatoes at all.

For every 3kg or 6lbs ripe tomatoes…

2 sticks of celery (or 1 level tablespoon of celery salt)
1 large onion
2 large cloves of garlic
Half a level teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 level teaspoon ground ginger
1 level tablespoon of salt
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 level tablespoon ground coriander
Half pint of distilled vinegar
8oz sugar

Wash the tomatoes and celery. Blanch the toms for 10 seconds and remove skins. Chop up all the ingredients and cook slowly until pulped. Sieve, rinse the pan, return the sieved mixture and boil to reduce, stirring until it’s the right consistency. Bottle while hot and sterilize. Hey presto. It’s delicious.

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