Slow-Simmered Whole-Spice Tomato Ketchup

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Real ketchup, built the old preserving-kitchen way: whole cloves, allspice, cinnamon and mustard seed steeped in warm cider vinegar, then stirred into tomatoes that have been cooked down slowly with onion and brown sugar until they turn deep brick red. Blended and pushed through a sieve, it comes out glossy and thick enough to sit on a spoon — sweet, sharp and far more aromatic than anything from a squeeze bottle. One afternoon makes about three cups that will outclass every burger you cook for the next month.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 stick cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp whole allspice berries
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 28-oz cans whole peeled plum tomatoes (San Marzano style), with juice
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Make the spiced vinegar first so it has time to infuse: combine the cider vinegar, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, allspice, peppercorns, cloves, celery seed and bay leaf in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat just until it steams and the first bubbles appear around the edge, about 2 minutes — do not boil hard, or you will lose the sharpness. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep off the stove for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours is better).
2. In a wide heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes until very soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until it darkens to a rusty brick color and smells sweet rather than raw. This is the backbone of the finished color.
4. Crush the canned tomatoes with your hands directly into the pot, adding all their juice. Stir in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, paprika and cayenne. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
5. Reduce the heat to low so the surface just barely blips, and cook uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom every 10 minutes. The mixture should reduce by roughly a third, turn a deeper red, and pull away from the sides of the pot when you drag a spoon through it. Partially cover with a splatter screen or lid set ajar if it spits.
6. Strain the spiced vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup and discard the whole spices. Stir the vinegar into the tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes more to marry.
7. Turn off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes, then blend until completely smooth — 60 to 90 seconds in a stand blender working in two batches (never fill past halfway with hot liquid, and vent the lid), or 2 minutes with an immersion blender in the pot.
8. For a truly glossy, factory-smooth texture, push the puree through a fine-mesh sieve with a flexible spatula, scraping until only a few tablespoons of seeds and skin remain. Return the strained ketchup to the clean pot.
9. Simmer over low heat, stirring often, for 15 to 25 minutes until thick: a spoon drawn across the bottom should leave a trail that closes slowly, and a spoonful mounded on a chilled plate should hold its shape with no watery ring. Remember it tightens further as it cools, so stop while it is still just barely pourable.
10. Taste and adjust — a few pinches of salt for savoriness, a teaspoon of vinegar for lift, a teaspoon of sugar if the tomatoes were sharp. Cool to room temperature, then funnel into clean jars or squeeze bottles. Chill at least 4 hours before serving; the flavor settles and deepens overnight. Keeps 1 month refrigerated.
11. Yields about 3 cups.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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