In keeping with the idea that anyone can stand to be outside in this punishing humidity, I offer you (readers from the Central Coast of California, parts of the world where it’s currently winter and Northern Europe, I’m guessing) a fun fermented condiment to go with your grilled goods. Like mustard, I would say that if you’re the type to make your own, why not ferment it? If you aren’t, then take a read and a gander and come back later for more essential things to ferment.
My gold-standard ketchup is a homemade version that comes from Sam’s Morning Glory Diner, here is the Bella Vista neighborhood of Philly. I love Morning Glory. A few years ago, I had to have back surgery following years of physical therapy that didn’t quite fix me after I got hit by a car (caution: explicit language lies behind that link). My surgeon was a super-cool and in demand dude, so for my post-surgical check-ups, I had to go in at 6am. The first time, I wasn’t crazy about it, but then I realized that I would be able to stop at Morning Glory on the way home for some from-scratch brunch and I was totally good with those groggy mornings. Morning Glory is tiny, and on weekends, the wait is prohibitively long and the tattooed and efficient staff are more harried than friendly. But, as I discovered on my walk home from these surgical follow-ups, getting in there with staff asmilin’ to enjoy their famous, three-meal-sized frittatas, pecan waffles, house-made granolas and jams and insane biscuits is as simple as walking through the door on a weekday morning. It’s a diner, for sure, but love and some seriously good recipes are behind the spot’s long brunch reign.
I have a goal when I go to Morning Glory: Make sure someone orders something that will require ketchup. They serve it in recycled wine bottles, and it’s thin and easily pourable. Although it’s not quite perfect (my version is thicker, spiced differently and, of course, fermented), the Morning Glory ketchup is definitely the inspiration here.
Spiced, Fermented Ketchup
The spices here can totally be optional, but I love a heavily spiced ketchup, so I went nuts. I went heavy on the clove, because I like it and the morning glory version is noticeably clovey. Feel free to omit any spices that you don’t love, since this is definitely a heavily spiced ode to the good ol’ MG ketchup.
I didn’t add any salt because my kraut juice contained all the salt I wanted. If you use a different starter, add a pinch or two of salt.
Ingredients
1 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups drained, canned tomatoes (or sub ~4 medium, fresh, milled tomatoes), canned liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (omit if you don’t like heat)
1 teaspoon clove
1 cup sauerkraut juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
How-To
1. Combine all ingredients except sauerkraut juice and maple syrup. Put them in a sauce pan over medium heat and cook for 40 minutes, stirring regularly. When the mixture has thickened a bit, stir in the maple syrup.
2. Remove from heat and bring back to room temperature. If you find the mixture has gotten thicker than you like, use the reserved canning liquid to thin it out a bit, a tablespoon at a time. Add the sauerkraut juice.
2. Pour into a 1 1/2 pint jar and tighten the lid.
3. Let it sit at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours or until the lid has puffed up and is a bit rigid.
4. I like to give it another whirl in the food processor to smooth it out even more after fermentation.
5. Refrigerate and consume with abandon (GREAT on eggs!)
Andi says
I love that this uses sauerkraut juice! I don’t have any sauerkraut bubbling away right now, but I’m bookmarking this recipe for this winter.
Amanda says
Thanks, Andi! I think it adds a little something special. Definitely slower than whey, but still does the trick and adds flavor.
Michael Massimino says
I’m going to make a batch this weekend but use the pickling liquid from a batch of hot sauce that’s ready to be processed. Hoping for spicy ketchup without using cayenne
amanda says
how long is this good for in the fridge? does it last a long time because it is a ferment?
Amanda says
It will keep for a long time (months), but it will continue fermenting in the fridge, so the flavor with change and become more sour.
I hope that helps!
Jean McKee says
First batch made with brine from hot peppers, yum! I expect to use this faster than I have new brine – since it keeps fermenting, can I use the last cup or so as a ‘mother’? Thanks!
Jean McKee says
Also, too – if at some point I want to stop the fermenting, can I freeze it without killing the good bugs? thx
Amanda says
You can always star from scratch with a new fermented liquid. I wouldn’t worry too much about keeping this fed (the way you would need to with certain cultures like kefir grains, for instance) or frozen. There really isn’t any evidence that you’ll have a better product if you use the old batch as a starter (and there is some evidence that the end product will be worse, although this is centered on vegetable fermentation).
It’s possible that freezing will kill your good bugs. Some strains of lactic acid bacteria are cold tolerant and others aren’t. Unfortunately there isn’t a comprehensive database of which LAB survive which conditions (as far as I know 🙂 and if there were, you would still need to know what strains were present in your particular ferment. Still, you could give it a try with a small amount to see if it works!
Sorry I don’t have better info for you on that! Hopefully you’ll find the best methodology for you!
Amanda says
Hi Jean,
Do you mean as a starter for a new batch of ketchup? Or as a mother for batch of vinegar?
You could use finished ketchup as a starter, but I would keep the proportion of stater in fresh ketchup relatively low. Best of luck!
Jean says
I meant as a starter for a new batch of ketchup, if I didn’t have fresh ‘brine’, since it keeps going so well in the fridge. Our house in winter qualifies as cold storage, so any room-temp-type ferments just don’t get moving. Hoping to get my storage organized to where I have a dedicated shelf and it’s worth getting a warming mat, but not there yet.
The freezer question was for if at some point the flavor was perfect and I wanted to stop the ferment.
Rafael Castro-Mendivil says
Hi Amanda,
Can I use stevia instead of maple syrup?