Page Two Hundred-One.
I've been collecting old cookbooks for years. I can't remember now how I even got started with that little hobby. And by many standards I don't really have a lot, a few hundred or so. But there's something very warm about a shelf-full of cookbooks from the 1920, '30's and '40's.
Some years ago, I had a job as private chef to a small family who had more food allergies than you can imagine. The household was gluten free and lactose free. Additionally, there was no white vinegar allowed, nor mustard, black pepper, cumin, red pepper, parsley or worcestershire sauce. Rule out all dried fruit plus fresh: apples, peaches, grapes, pears, pork product or chicken and no seafood whatsoever except shrimp. And there was more. I just can't remember it all. I'm sure I've blocked it out of my memory. And amazingly, I lasted on that job almost 1 & 1/2 years.
They could have air and water, but it had to be made from scratch.
Interestingly, they weren't slender. That was possibly because they could eat dark chocolate, beef and potato chips. And brother, did they chow down on those items. Whew! And yes, there was some actual mental illness in the home.
At some point along the way, I realized that their boycott of ketchup and mayonnaise was because both items contained white vinegar. I thought to myself, "Gee, Self, just start making those items from scratch." Now, many post-Nixon era cookbooks discuss mayo. Homemade mayo just isn't a big deal at all. So perfecting that little bit of creamy goodness wasn't a skill worthy of bragging rights. Ketchup on the other hand... well that's a different story.
Some contemporary Earth Mother-style cookbooks would have you believe that ketchup is just tomato sauce with some spices added. Wrong. I had to consult my old cookbooks... a few of 'em, in fact, to figure out what makes ketchup ketchup. Keep in mind, in the 1920's you could purchase bottled ketchup, sure. But it wasn't the overwhelming standard. Home-made ketchup was still quite common. And it wasn't considered a cheap condiment. It was a true sauce which might have added class to a meal.
After figuring out what my old cookbooks had to say about the subject, I tried it on my own; a little scared too, I will admit. I didn't start with a bushel 'o tomatoes though, like all those pre-Little Rascals cookbooks instructed. I started with a couple cans of tomato paste. (There's nothing wrong with cheating a little!) Of the dozen or more times that I made that stuff for the family, it always required a couple of hours before I got the taste and texture just right. I also never wrote the recipe down. So, I'm not able to tell you exact amounts of this ingredient, that spice or the other whatever. But, homemade ketchup is good. Here's how to do it (sans white vinegar).
Ingredients:
Tomato paste
Balsamic or your preferred vinegar
White sugar, brown sugar or molasses
Salt
Garlic powder
Onion Powder
Water
Cook it all together until it tastes, looks and acts like ketchup.
I suppose it's also possible to cheat less severely than I did but still skip the part where it says "take your bushel 'o tomatoes and..." This level of cheating includes sauteing up some smashed garlic, onions and red peppers. Add that to the tomato mixture. Simmer for a presidential term. Then, press it all through a sieve or process in a food mill so ketchup has no chunks.
Do you see what I mean though about how ketchup used to be a true sauce? And a fancy one at that? Homemade ketchup is a nice project for a cold Saturday afternoon. In fact, If you have kids who like to cook, this could be a pleasant family project. Children would gain a new understanding and appreciation for what goes into food prep; even something like ketchup, which "everyone knows comes from a bottle".
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