Remember back in the day when some forms of ketchup were called catsup? Catsup. Say it with me...catsup. It's kind of really fun to say. Catsup. Catsup. You know when you say a word over and over and it starts to lose all meaning and sounds like your are speaking alien jibberish? That just happened. So I am going to stick with ketchup.
Now, another burning question. Have you ever thought your ketchup was missing something? I mean, it is pretty amazing as is. Don't mess with perfection, right? But I like the spice. So why not add spice to ketchup? I searched for some base recipes and molded the basics into this little ditty.
P.S. Don't be skerd. It's really easy. Like, screwing a light bulb in easy. Trust.
First, you need some of these.
Grab your blender and puree them up a bit. WHOOSH WHOOSH! Oh, and get some crackers out for the audience you might have stop in here and there. And in case anyone was wondering, my sweet $5ish white rubber watch is still making me happy!
Don't put your blender away yet, though. We are going to need that puppy again.
Next, heat some oil in a pan and saute some onions. They don't need to be cut all perfect. We are going to blend them up later.
Look at those beauties. Throw some garlic in the mix. Stir the whole bit around for a second.
Time for the good stuff. Add the tomatoes you blended up, brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, salt, mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper.
Mix it all up and increase the heat to high. Bring it all up to a boil, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for 45 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally.
This is what it looks like after 45 minutes. It gets nice and thick, almost catsup like, or ketchup like.
Pour the mixture into the blender and let it rip. You want it to be smooth.
I put some on this little guy for easy spooning access and the rest in one of the 752 squeezie bottles I have. Using a squeezie bottle for it's intended purpose. Who would've though people ACTUALLY use them for ketchup?
You can store your spicy ketchup in the fridge for a month. We have used ours on french fries, turkey burgers, regular burgers, hot dogs, and brats. It is delectable in all situations. It would also be good mixed with a touch of mayo on your lunch time sammie.
If your weather is anything like the weather we are getting, you are going to be firing up that grill more and more often. Try this ketchup with your grilled goodness.
Spicy Ketchup
Ingredients
Swirl of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (white or apple cider will work)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon mustard (I used Dijon, but yellow would work)
2-3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (depending on the level of heat desired)
1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne (again, depending on the level of heat desired)
(NOTE: I used the low end for both and the ketchup was just noticeably spicy. In the future, I would probably go somewhere in the middle. Start with less and add more when you are blending if you taste it and it is not spicy enough. Remember though, it will get spicier as it sits. Peace out.)
Puree the diced tomatoes in the blender. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic. Stir for a minute.
Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
Increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the mixture from the heat and blend until smooth.
Eat it up, folks.
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