Convenience food is supposed to make our everyday life more convenient. Specifically in the kitchen. Processed food for the win. And it is in fact way easier and less time-consuming to use these products. From ready-made sauces to even whole meals for heating up in the microwave. Instant meal for the instant hunger. Or is it just the munchies calling for immediate satisfaction? But as pleasing as it is to rely on effortless food provision, it comes with a ton of disadvantages. OK, I don’t want to play the self-righteous moralizer throwing around reproaches with a wagging finger. I guess and hope everyone knows the drill at this point. Oversugared, oversalted, a chemical cocktail of additives, plastic package overkill. Alright, maybe this description is a bit over the top. However, for a certain time now, I prefer to make as many daily life products by myself. Sure, it should be a bit balanced between effort, cost, and usability. But even spending a small amount of money and time more for creating my own product is worth the result.

Ketchup is one of those processed products I would only use once in a while. Sometimes as a dip, sometimes as an upgrade for that boring sandwich. And even though it is super easy to buy a bottle, preferably a glass bottle than some plastic container, there should be more to it than just splashing some tomato goo on your dish. So, first things first, what does basic ketchup actually contain? Well, nothing fancy what I can tell from it. In fact, most probably you will already have all ingredients at home. Sure, tomatoes should be the main ingredient anyway. But only mashing tomatoes doesn’t make ketchup, yet. No worries, the list is negligible: sugar, salt, vinegar, and whatever you want it to be like. The basis is just some seasoned tomato puree. Or, keeping it a bit more specific, three basic tastes are added: sweet, salty, and sour. And that is actually one of the big advantages. Not only that you can reduce the amount of sugar you want in your ketchup. But you can also adjust the taste in any direction you want to. A bit sourer in order to emphasize the tomatoes, or a bit sweeter to highlight the fruity tones? No problem, whatever you prefer. And that’s not all, for sure. Add some garlic, and blend in some of your favorite spices. C’mon, we are in the kitchen here. Creativity doesn’t follow standardized recipes. And that also counts for the consistency. Some people like it thinner, some thicker. Although, if you use it mostly as a dip, especially for french fries, it should have a bit thicker texture. After all, you want to have the ketchup stick to your fried potatoes, right?
Enough philosophizing. Let’s start cooking ketchup. Yeah, cooking. Unfortunately, it is not enough just to throw everything in a blender and call it a day. Anyway, the following is my personal process and can be adapted in any way desirable. So, the first consideration is clearly about the tomatoes. And I have to be honest, I never used fresh ones. A bit shamefaced I have to admit that I would consistently use canned tomatoes. One big can or two smaller ones should do it. These go straight to a pot and are cooked with one or two cloves of garlic and one finely chopped onion. I would leave it for about 15 minutes before proceeding to the upcoming massacre: blending. And yeah, I’m saying “massacre” because it also happened to me once. Not closing the top of the blender properly and your kitchen will look like a devastated crime scene. A once-in-a-lifetime experience … hopefully. And for this still having a certain probability, it is also advisable to let the cooked vegetables cool down a bit. You don’t want boiling hot splashes of red veggie mush all over the place (and yourself). So, after adding all desired spices to the tomatoes, it is time to mash them up real good. I always blend it up to the point where you don’t see any difference anymore. Till the endpoint, so to say. Unfortunately, this isn’t the end of the story. Now the ketchup has to be reduced by boiling out some water. As I said before, I prefer it a bit more in the high-viscosity realm. This means I have to boil it for quite a time. But this is one of the things about producing my own ketchup which makes it certainly special. Kinda converse. In contrast to ketchup being a symbol of fast food, I want to take it on the other side here. Slow down, enjoy, and value the effort. It is quite relaxing to stir steadily while watching the tomato mash reduce in slow-motion. Steam is fading away, however, concentrating the flavor inside the bubbling mass. And that, at least in my perception, is the core of cooking as a passion anyway. Make, try, taste, and take your time.
The overall roundup about making your own ketchup is that you can round it up in any way you desire. Sour, sweet, salty taste. Viscosity, thick or liquid. Making it your own. And most importantly the main ingredient: precious time, adding that special touch.