6.11.08

Catch Up with Ketchup

There are some foods that we just buy – without even thinking about it. Notably, ketchup. No one would ever think of making their own version of the sugary, salty, vinegary, slightly tomatoey dressing for many meats and fried foods. I mean the stuff is iconic – in look and in taste – but altogether only so-so given all the sugar and salt in it. Sometimes at nice restaurants, if they serve fries it will be with a house ketchup. And in my experience those have always been divine. Sometimes a little chunky, sometimes a little spicy, sometimes a little creamy. So why not make our own? It's very easy and inexpensive and you can tailor it to your exact specifications without nearly as much gratuitous sugar and sodium.

I did just that recently when I made my own chipotle ketchup to go with some awesome Morning Star mini veggie corn dogs (taste very much like hot dogs but far less fat and sodium). I used a single can of low-sodium, whole, peeled, cooked tomatoes and one diced, fresh Roma tomato. I drained the can and put the two forms of tomato together in my mini blender. To that, I added a large spoonful of canola mayonnaise, a tiny pinch of sea salt, a couple glugs of red wine vinegar and a heaping teaspoon of chipotle powder. I then pureed it all together until smooth. I tasted it to make sure the flavors were okay and adjust if necessary. It made quite a lot of ketchup, which was great since Julia and I both really enjoyed it. It was the perfect combo of tomatoey, vinegary, spicy, smoky ands salty. Success! It made eating ketchup tasty, worth it and guilt free, which are things that any great condiment should possess. Especially one as iconic as this one.

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