One of the things I love about old recipes is the process of decoding them. Whilst having a quick scour through Google Books, I came across a very authentic recipe for genuine American 1800's tomato ketchup straight from Dr. Chase's recipes; or, Information for everybody; an invaluable collection of about eight hundred practical recipes
The recipe is credited to Mrs Hardy of the American Hotel, Dresden Ohio and according to Dr Chase is 'The best catchup which I have ever tasted'.
The
history of ketchup is quite extensive so, as usual, go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup to get the background.
The quantity is a tad large. I did some research, mostly Google based, and the recipe calls for 1 'bushel' of tomatoes. According to common law, that equates to 53 lbs which is by anyone's standards quite a bit. So this recipe is quite ready for a little bit of adjustment.
What do you need then?
1 bushel of tomatos, washed and clean.
Salt to taste,
2 cups of
allspice1 tea cup of
ground cloves1 quart of best vinegar
1. Wash and clean the tomatoes, chop them and boil them and then remove once reached boiling point.
2. Allow the tomato to cool and then rub them through a
wire sieve.
3. Add salt to taste, the allspice, cloves and vinegar to the stuff that comes through the sieve.
4. Cook the mixture for an hour over a moderate heat, stirring constantly.
So here is the original text. You can view it
here too
"CATCHUP Tomato Catchup
Take perfectly ripe tomatoes 1 bushel (53lbs) wash them clean and break to pieces then put over the fire and let them come to a boil and remove from the fire when they are sufficiently cool to allow your hands to them rub through a wire sieve and to what goes through add salt 2 tea cups allspice and cloves of each ground 1 tea cup best vinegar 1 qt Put onto the fire again and cook 1 hour stirring with great care to avoid burning Bottle and seal for use If too thick when used put in a little vinegar If they were very juicy they may need boiling over an hour
This recipe is from Mrs Hardy of the American Hotel Dresden 0 and is decidedly the best catchup which I lwve ever tasted the only fault I have ever heard attributed to it was I wish we had made more of it We have not got half enough of it &c But there are those who cannot use tomatoes in any shape such persons will undoubt edly like the following."
Credit for the photo goes to the
Neo-Victorian Blog, which I found during the research for this recipe.
EDIT: 2026 - One bottle recipe!
The Scaled-Down Recipe (For One 500ml Bottle)
For those of us living in the present day with limited pantry space, here is a manageable version:
2.5 kg Ripe Tomatoes (The riper, the better—don't be shy)
1 tsp Salt (Adjust to your own palate)
2 tsp Ground Allspice
2 tsp Ground Cloves
115 ml Cider Vinegar or Quality Malt Vinegar
Method: How to Process Your Catchup
1. The Preliminary Boil
Wash your tomatoes and hack them into pieces. Place them in a large pan and bring them to the boil. This is not a refined process; you are simply breaking them down. Once they have reached a rolling boil, remove them from the heat.
2. The Sieve Work
Wait for the mixture to cool sufficiently so you don't scald yourself, then rub the tomatoes through a fine wire sieve. This is the Victorian equivalent of a gym workout. You want the smooth pulp and juice; the skins and seeds are to be discarded.
3. The Spicing
Add your salt, allspice, cloves, and vinegar to the strained liquid. You will notice immediately that this is far more aromatic and thinner than the gloop found in plastic squeeze bottles.
4. The Reduction
Return the mixture to the heat. Simmer for at least an hour over a moderate flame. You must stir "with great care" to prevent it from catching and burning on the bottom of the pan—nothing ruins a historical experiment faster than the taste of carbon. If your tomatoes were particularly watery, keep simmering until it reaches a consistency that doesn't immediately offend you.
Storage and Final Thoughts
Bottle the mixture while hot and seal it. If, upon opening, you find it has thickened too much, simply stir in a splash of vinegar.
This ketchup is thin, sharp, and heavily spiced. It is a condiment for those who prefer their food to have a bit of character and for those who suspect that the 19th century, for all its lack of indoor plumbing, might have actually understood flavour better than we do.
