Zombie Blood: Make Your Own Ketchup (Or Is It Catsup?)

"Three tomatoes are walking down the street, a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. Baby tomato starts lagging behind. Poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and smooshes him and says 'Catch up.'" Mia (Uma Thurman) in Pulp Fiction, 1994

By Meathead

What would we do without ketchup? We put it on burgers, we plunge French fries into it, and we make barbecue sauces from it. And really, when you think about it, most barbecue sauces are just a form of pumped up ketchup.

But ketchup did not always contain tomatoes! Tomatoes were native to Central America and the word ketchup probably came from Asia long before tomatoes made their way out of the New World. Some think the word came from ke-tsiap a Cantonese word that meant roughly "fish pickled in brine". Others think it came from Indonesian kecap made of pickled fruits and vegetables. It contained no tomatoes and was probably more like soy sauce or Chinese fish sauce. Slather some of that on your burgers, bucko.

Much like canned anchovies and sardines, these sauces were loaded with amino acids that pack a lot of the savory umami flavors.

Eliza Smith's recipe for "English Katchup" in The Compleat Housewife: Or, Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion may have been the first published when it appeared in England in 1727. It was also probably the first cookbook published in the US in 1742. It used white wine vinegar, shallots, anchovies, white wine, vinegar, pepper, lemon peel, horseradish, cloves, ginger, mace, and nutmeg (at right). It was used as an ingredient in fish sauce or meats.

Another recipe was published around the same time by Richard Bradley in "The Country Gentleman's and Farmer's Monthly Director." It contained port wine, the juice of boiled mushrooms, mace, and cloves and was rally just a red wine sauce. Thin and translucent mushroom ketchups became quite common and popular.

In 1867 Mrs. A.P. Hill, a Georgia widow, published Mrs. Hill's New Cook Book. It has recipes for several "catsups" that were used to flavor meats and other sauces. Her recipes included tomato catsup, pepper catsup, cucumber catsup, mushroom catsup, walnut catsup, lemon catsup, and a boozy pudding catsup that was made with nut liqueur, sherry, curacao, and lemon peel. Now there's a base for a barbecue sauce!

Heinz introduced its tomato ketchup in 1875 and its recipe has become a standard for all ketchups. An 1876 advertising slogan promoted it as "Blessed relief for Mother and the other women in the household!"

Today, by law, all American ketchups contain tomatoes, vinegar, sweeteners, salt, spices, and herbs. Yes, the definition of ketchup is defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Volume 2, Part 155, Section 194 (21CFR155.194). You can look it up.

And for the record, tomatoes, botanically, are fruits, not vegetables, even though, in 1981, under President Ronald Reagan, in a bureaucratic bumble, the USDA attempted to classify ketchup as a vegetable when served in school lunch programs. The whole thing blew up with a little help from the Democrats, especially after Reagan’s agriculture secretary, John Block, attempted to defend the new rules.

If you want to learn more, I recommend Andrew F. Smith's book Pure Ketchup: A History of Americas National Condiment. It follows the evolution of the condiment from centuries gone by and reproduces historic recipes. Smith attempts to answer the spelling question, ketchup or catsup? "Ketchup, catchup, or catsup continue to be used today, but other similar spellings have been employed for years... In America, Isaac Riley, editor of the 1818 edition of The Universal Receipt Book, believed that ketchup was the correct spelling. According to Riley, catchup was a vulgarization, and catsup was simply an affectation... Until a few decades ago, catsup was the preferred spelling in many dictionaries. Today ketchup clearly is in the ascendancy, and is the clear choice of lexicographers and manufacturers".

Although there are slight differences in flavor, Heinz and Hunt's are interchangeable in my recipes. But if you want a treat, make my Zombie Blood. Rich, thick, sweet, spreadable, Zombie Blood is great on fries or sandwiches, especially burgers, or as a glaze on meatloaf. Just one thing: Never, no way, nohow, put ketchup on a hot dog. Click here to read why.

Makes. About 8 ounces
Takes. About 90 minutes

1 pound fresh ripe summer plum tomatoes or a 14 ounce can whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and pressed or finely minced
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon table salt

Optional. As usual, I recommend you follow my recipe the first time. Then, if you wish, do variations on the theme. Add herbs and spices that you love. Get exotic with ras el hanout, 5 spice powder, cilantro, or curry powder. I often use smoked paprika. How about some soy sauce, hoisin sauce? Make it your own.

About the tomatoes. This dish is best whenmade from fresh ripe summer tomatoes, but if you wish, you can do it with canned whole or diced tomatoes. They come in 14 ounce cans, so one will be fine.

Heat. I know you like hot stuff, but know that the fresh ginger should do the job. If you want more, add 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder.

Method
1) Remove the stems, tips, green cores, and any black spots or discolorations from the tomatoes. Chop into 1/2" cubes.

2) Mix everything together in a pot and simmer for one hour. Stir periodically to keep it from burning.

3) Force it through a food mill, chinois, or mesh strainer. If you are using a mesh strainer, a ladle makes a good pusher. Put it back on a burner and simmer until it is thick, like ketchup. Taste it and adjust any seasonings to your taste, pour into a squeeze bottle, and chill. Keep refrigerated.

This page was revised 9/17/2012