Tepich

With a tip of the hat to The Mustard Museum’s Barry Levenson, as well as my own maturing taste buds, I confess to having shelved ketchup with my painted wings, giant rings, and other fancy stuff.  It is just too damn sweet; the only real justice for grilled burgers, or sausages of any kind, is a good, rich mustard – of which there are many. Cold roasted meats – ditto.  Plus cheese, pickled vegetables, and on and on and on.  Mustard is far superior, yet perpetually upstaged.  As for ketchup, well, really there is only one kind of ketchup. And that is its forté. Ketchup is the great homogenizer.  The sweet, placating blandishment that can get kids of all ages to eat something unfamiliar, or to eat more of what they already like.  I for one adored ketchup, referring to it as ‘tepich’ as a toddler, and was horrified at the thought of a hot dog served sans ketchup (along with mustard and kraut, for the record). But now, after a lifelong devotion to the red condiment, I eschew it and deign to apply it only out of habit or the memory of it perhaps being something better…
So I threw down the gauntlet and decided to not buy that syrupy crap any more.  Next, I made some of my own. And you should too because A) it's easy B) it keeps a long time and thus worth the work C) it can be both way better and yet still familiar (familiarity is important, there is no market for weird ketchup). 
The first step in this quest is to ‘understand’ ketchup.  Ketchup is a vinegar and sugar preserve of fruit – a chutney.  A pureed tomato chutney but a chutney nonetheless.  Great.  Chutneys are easy and versatile. 
Second step is to find a way to build sweetness without tons of added sugar.  Well, the answer to the second part is in the first: fruit.  Dried fruit adds sweetness and body to chutneys.  Raisins are super sweet and pretty cheap.  Their flavor, particularly golden raisins, is pretty neutral compared to cider vinegar and tomato. Done.
OK, the following is a recipe.  Something you will rarely get from me because I believe they are generally a handicap to home cooks.  But here it is because I truly want you to try it for yourself.

Ketchup

Yield = 4 quarts.  Easily halved or doubled.

10# plum tomatoes

2 #  onions, sliced

2 heads garlic, chopped coarsely

½ cayenne pepper.  Dry is fine.

2-3 T yellow mustard seeds (Ironic huh!)

½ stick cinnamon

8-10 allspice berries

8-12 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

~6 oz golden or dark raisins or a mix

~4 oz dried apple rings

~7 oz sugar

~3 oz brown sugar

Cider vinegar 

·         Heat some neutral oil over medium high in a non-aluminum stock pot.  Add the mustard, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, and peppercorns and fry gently for 30 seconds to a minute.  DO NOT ALLOW TO BURN.

·         Add the onion and garlic and bay.  Stir and cook until almost carmelized, but still light colored. 

·         Add the raisins, apple and sugars.  Stir and allow the sugar to melt – one minute.  Add enough cider vinegar to just float all the ingredients, maybe 2-3 cups?  Sorry I did not measure this.  But you’ll figure it out.  Allow this to reduce by a third to half.

·         Puree all the toms in blender or cuisinart and add to the pot.  Take it to a simmer and allow this to reduce by at least half (1-2 hours).  Stir regularly to prevent scorching.  It will get thick.

·         Adjust the seasoning with salt and a little extra sugar and/or vinegar if necessary.

·         When reduced, fish out the cinnamon, bay, and as many allspice as possible.  Puree in batches and heat/ pressure process in cans, or just refrigerate.  Freezing is fine too.  It should keep 6 months in the fridge.  I put some of mine in a reused squeeze bottle, because that is best.  You should too.  When it gets used up, I’ll open a can and top the bottle off without missing a beat.

NOTES: Golden raisins preserve a familiar bright red color, but that is pure aesthetics. 

I will make this next with more apple/raisin, and less sugar.  So feel free to push the envelope.  Most quantities are estimates.  Use your instinct.

Don’t be tempted to overdo it on the spices.  This is a ketchup pitfall.  Keep it familiar.  Heinz 57 is the target.  Don’t try cumin or dill seed or burdock or something.  Remember: No market for weird ketchup.

Let me know how it goes.