Tomato glut means it's homemade Tomato Ketchup time

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With such a glut of Tomatoes coming from the Greenhouse at the moment and the Buffalo Steak variety fruits averaging just shy of a pound in weight each, the biggest so far just over the pound at 530 grams, I have decided it's that time of year again to start making Tomato Ketchup. 

I really do need to do something as the outdoor plants haven't begun ripening yet but the Yellow Pear plants are ladened with little pear-shaped fruits and the two American Heritage variety Pink Brandywine plants both have a number of fruits on as well, see pictures below. It's a nice problem to have!

My recipe for Tomato Ketchup is pretty standard but if you are interested it can be found below; Jamie Oliver I aint: 

3.5kg tomatoes roughly chopped
1 onion roughly sliced and diced
1 head of garlic peeled and chopped/crushed 
110g salt
1kg light brown soft sugar
600ml red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4/5 whole cloves
Few turns of black pepper
Little oil (of your choice) for cooking

Cooking really couldn't be simpler. Soften the onions in a frying pan then simply put all the ingredients into a nice big pan and allow to simmer for two-and-a-half, three hours, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool before whizzing in a food processor or with a hand blender if you have one big enough. Sieve and pour into sterilised bottles or jars. You should end up with enough for around a dozen 190ml bottles/jars. 

This Ketchup will keep for several months stored in a dark cupboard; once opened simply keep in the fridge where it will be fine for up to 6-weeks, if it lasts that long which it never does in my house! 

Get that BBQ going and the Burgers on the grill. 

The latest column for the Romford Recorder is out this week, see page 24, in shops and online: 

https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=abcc5c0d-96d0-4be1-9b1e-a906061d2b20

Cheers 🍺



Location: London Borough of Havering, UK

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