Ketchup

[Kris]

Here's yet another New Yorker who loves her Heinz ketchup. Forget about Hunts and Delmonte thank you very much. Have never tried the Muir Glen organic that a few of you have mentioned. Maybe I will just to broaden my horizons.

I eat ketchup on my well done burgers, fries and eggs. I use it when cooking meatloaf, homemade baked beans and bbq sauce.

[Tess]

I just picked up a bottle of HP Curry from the imports shelf of our local supermarket. It tastes a lot like ketchup with curry flavoring added. I could see using that on those Calbee shrimp chips.

[mrbigjas]

i have to admit i've never understood why people get so worked up about these sorts of things. it's just ketchup, after all. use it, or don't, whichever.

however, i've read this thread with interest because recently i made a couple of varieties of ketchup-type condiments for various things, so here are some thoughts.

first of all, i don't understand the usage on eggs. to me the flavor of eggs and the flavor of ketchup just aren't complementary. they're totally separate in my head. i put some on some eggs once when i was younger because a lot of people did it, and it was like the two flavors were fighting in my mouth. i mean, i'm not appalled or anything, it's just kind of incomprehensible.

now, on to beef: as you may or may not know, i live in philadelphia, home of the cheesesteak. and many, many people like ketchup on a cheesesteak. to me, it doesn't add all that much--maybe a little sweetness and acid to cut the fat, but not enough to make me use it, and i prefer them without. but a burger with a nice char on it? ketchup, or better yet, the 50/50 ketchup/sriracha combination someone upthread mentioned is my go-to.

good fries definitely don't need ketchup either. hot crisp salty potato is definitely good enough to stand on its own. and if they suck so bad that i need to drown them in ketchup, i just don't eat them--i don't need the calories.

ok here's something else: a few weeks ago, i made lamb chops, and wanted some kind of condiment on them. for some reason i don't know, i decided i wanted a sort of hot curried mint ketchup. so i cooked some onions and garlic, added a good dose of curry powder and red pepper, the tomatoes and a little sugar, pureed the whole mess, and cooked it down until it was ketchupy thickness. then i cooled it and pureed it again with mint. and it was freaking great, so i thought that was kinda cool.

ok one final thought: i have a friend who is a ketchup fiend. he has a severe allergy to most vegetables (esp. those of the allium family), so he can't eat a lot of things. he sure does eat a lot of french fries, though, with ketchup. and only heinz. but he's also a wine geek and spends a lot of time drinking and thinking about tastes and things. and he swears that heinz ketchup only really tastes good after it's been out for a few days, so it can get oxidized--that when you get a fresh bottle it doesn't taste right. and he thinks the reason he believes this is from having ketchup in restaurants and diners growing up, where the bottles were married every night and the ketchup was always various ages and had been out in the air. so when he buys a new bottle he pours half of it into another bottle and lets it sit out.

oh wait one final final thought: a former coworker of mine was repulsed by ketchup. the very smell made him nauseated. he said it was because when he was younger he had worked at a supermarket, and one day someone dropped a big ol bottle and he had to clean it up, and it was all over him, and he smelled like it for hours. so whoever that was upthread who said they didn't like ketchup because they had spent so much time smelling it while marrying bottles at a restaurant, i know someone who feels similarly.

[Randi]

I dislike ketchup in a BIG way - I just don't like the taste. To me, it ruins food.

The only use I have for ketchup is for adding horseradish and making cocktail sauce for shrimp. Yum!

[chow guy]

I think the ketchup snobbery thing got started when French chefs started generalizing that American's eat ketchup on everything or at least "Mon Dieu" on their beautiful creations.

As for moi, I use "waaaay" too much ketchup (Heinze only please) on fries and burgers (never hot dogs or meat loaf) and not too many other things... except scrambled eggs, (not fried eggs just scrambled) it's required.

[ghostrider]

I don't eat burgers much anymore, but when I did, ketchup (Hunts, to me it tasted more tomato-like than the Heinz sludge) & onions were essential. I guess that makes me a two-note guy.

I never liked ketchup on fries. As someone said above, good fries don't need a condiment.

I will never forget the guy I saw in New Orleans starting his breakfast with half a grapefruit which he slathered with ketchup. A variant of the Bloody Mary principle, perhaps, whatever that may be?

[rooftop1000]

I have also spilled a #10 can of ketchup all over myself at work and I already hated it

the big problem was as a child any field trips...school, scouts, what ever they took us to McDemons so there was nothing for me to eat but french fries because they pre-ordered for us. I would just cry and eat my fries

tracey

[Jaymes]

first of all, i don't understand the usage on eggs.  to me the flavor of eggs and the flavor of ketchup just aren't complementary.  they're totally separate in my head.  i put some on some eggs once when i was younger because a lot of people did it, and it was like the two flavors were fighting in my mouth.  i mean, i'm not appalled or anything, it's just kind of incomprehensible.

I love the flavors of eggs combined with tomatoes. When I was a kid, I did put ketchup on scrambled eggs, although not fried or coddled.

But now, I love eggs with salsa or hot sauce, or slices of fried tomatoes on the side, or chopped tomatoes in omelettes. I have no problem understanding why folks that like the flavor of ketchup eat it with eggs.

[The Hersch]

I keep a bottle of (Heinz) ketchup in the fridge for one use only: "Russian" dressing for Reuben sandwiches. Good, fatty corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, "Russian" dressing on rye, fried in butter. I think I'm going to faint....

Remember Lucy having lunch in Montmartre? She unwittingly orders escargots, complains to the waiter that there are snails in her food, asks for ketchup, and gets arrested when she pays for her lunch with counterfeit money?

[anthonybishopric]

I'm not anti-condiment by any means whatsoever, but I only rarely use ketchup.  I don't dislike ketchup at all, I'm just more of a mayo and/or mustard guy.

I primarily use ketchup as an ingredient in BBQ sauce (which I like much better than ketchup on fries, for example) or in one particular recipe for baked beans.  The only time I ever use ketchup by itself as a condiment is with onion rings.

←

I just found a recipe for bbq beef for sandwiches that calls for 1.5 cups of Ketchup, which I find offensive in a big way. I'm with Foodie52 on the Sriracha as a spicy replacement. As a flavoring ingredient for "the bigger picture," does anybody have any suggestions for this particular dish?

BBQ Beef Recipe here

[Katie Meadow]

I am not a big fan of standard Heinz or other commercial ketchup. And once I started to make my own I never looked back. It's very easy to make, takes about 45 minutes to an hour, and uses as the base 1 28 oz. can of Italian tomatoes. My original recipe did not include this, but I add a little of my favorite BBQ sauce during the cooking process and that gives it an extra kick. I use it to "frost" my meatloaf and on burgers or any other things you might use ketchup for. It makes at least a pint and lasts well in the fridge; we're not heavy users in my house so I don't have to make it very often.

[pax]

Always on hamburgers. Never on fries. That's just wrong. Hot dogs with ketchup make me feel a bit ill to look at them.

Ever since I started using Jaymes' salsa recipe, I've had to start making the stuff in buckets because my kids use it instead of ketchup on *everything*. I've had fun tweaking it to tailor it to specific meals.

Edited March 16, 2008 by pax (log)

[chappie]

My mom used to beat the "I hate ketchup" into us as kids to the point where I came to adopt her loathing, but I've since realized it definitely has its time and place.

Ketchup on a hot dog is a damn shame and a true crime. On a hamburger, less so, but I shun it for good spicy mustard. But I don't care what the highbrows above say -- it's great on onion rings and fries, and certainly not "to mask the flavor."

I don't prefer Heinz; if it's store-bought, mass-market I like Hunts much better. Less cloyingly sweet and a tad more acidic. My favorite is House Recipe, the Sysco brand that many restaurants use to refill their Heinz bottles. I can always tell; it's got a distinct clovey, tangy flavor.

For those who are seeking a non-sweet ketchup: what is the point? Ketchup, at least the modern definition of it, is a sweet condiment. If I didn't want sweet I'd go mustard, sriracha, salsa, aoili, etc.

[hummingbirdkiss]

Hey! I like ketchup on a hotdog!

never knew people looked at me with disgust until I read this!

[chappie]

Ketchup on a hot dog is like dipping rock candy in honey.

I would, however, like to ammend my comments to say that I wouldn't ask for ketchup with steak frites or moules frites, and that good Boardwalk fries deserve malt vinegar. But the gooey red stuff has its place on a whole realm of "other" fries.

And I would prefer a variety that doesn't use HFCS, because that stuff is both vile and an insidious food industry trick we shouldn't be falling for anymore.

Maybe you should put your ketchup in the bottom of the hot dog bun to cover up evidence of your gustatory crime.

[hummingbirdkiss]

Ketchup on a hot dog is like dipping rock candy in honey.

I would, however, like to ammend my comments to say that I wouldn't ask for ketchup with steak frites or moules frites, and that good Boardwalk fries deserve malt vinegar. But the gooey red stuff has its place on a whole realm of "other" fries.

And I would prefer a variety that doesn't use HFCS, because that stuff is both vile and an insidious food industry trick we shouldn't be falling for anymore.

Maybe you should put your ketchup in the bottom of the hot dog bun to cover up evidence of your gustatory crime.

←

I have no shame I will proudly display my ketchup on top of the hot dog where it belongs!

honestly I never knew this was a "gustatory crime" ..because I like it! I thought everyone loved ketchup on hotdogs ..but what do I know about "everybody" anyway

as far as dipping rock candy in honey ...I could probably do that as well..I have never found an end to my love of sweets either

mustard on the other hand can go on the bottom of the bun ..because while I do enjoy it ..to me it is the secondary condiment ....but ketchup will remain proudly on top! ..oh yes and sweet pickle relish on the sides

[Daniel]

I have no use for ketchup outside of making cocktail sauce.. I prefer mayo or gravy on french fries.. Mustard and mayo on burgers.. What else is ketchup used for? The little one puts mayo on everything too.. Now that I think of it, I dont think we have had ketchup in the house for a couple of years now..

Actually I do like ketchup on potato chips but I rarely ever did that.. Though recently, I was putting this tomato paste on potato chips as I was making the little one a sandwich.. It was pretty good.

Edited March 17, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[JimH]

I made ketchup a couple of times but no one "got" it. I sometimes mix in a little hot sauce to give it some zip. Commercial ketchup doesn't compare well to other condiments because there is not much in the way of variety. I have one bottle of ketchup but at least 6 differnt types of mustard and 5 types of hot sauce.

[pax]

This thread has been brought to you care of The Catchup Advisory Board, which would like to remind you its natural mellowing agents.

[CtznCane]

How fascinating Ketchup/Catsup can be. It is one of those odd condiments some love, some hate, some like on one food but not on another, some swear by it, some swear against it. I'm one of those that likes it on some foods but not on others.

I've never been keen on ketchup on a burger or a hotdog. In fact, on a hot dog I consider it sinful. As for french-fries the only way I'll use ketchup is when mixed with worcestershire sauce. This combo is one I like not only for fries, but on ground round as well as with deep fried yucca. As a kid, the main food I would have ketchup on is liver. To hell with the oinons and bacon back then, it was the food ketchup was made for (in order for a kid to eat it.)

Ketchup is an extremely popular condiment used in Chinese cooking. Many Chinese dishes use ketchup in the sauce. Speaking of sauces, for making BBQ sauce or as another person mentioned for a nice cocktail sauce with horseradish it is great. I'm another who also likes ketchup on eggs from time to time, especially if it is homemade ketchup.

I recently made ketchup from a recipe in Fergus Henderson's "The Whole Beast" that used malt vinegar. I substituted splenda and the recipe turned out great. As for store boughts, I'm another who will stick with Heinz.

Perhaps the biggest downside to ketchup is simply our perception of this tasty condiment. What do we typically associate it with? Burgers, hot dogs, and fries are what come to mind for me. Nowadays with fast food chains we are so use to seeing ketchup in a little plastic pouch at a MacDonald's or such. The thought of these little packets gives me shivers of disgust. On the flip-side, if I think of a drive in or going to an old fashioned diner or burger joint I look forward to seeing the bottle of ketchup, and though I will not likely use it, I'll be disappointed and a bit of the ambiance will be gone if it is missing from the table.

[racheld]

Now that the children are all grown up, the one trusty bottle of ketchup exists only for one hamburger for Chris, now and then, applied to only one half of the bun, OVER the mayonnaise. It makes for a really SLIDEY burger. I have mentioned several times that mayo on one half and ketchup on the other would give the same effect, to no avail. It's a three-napkin event, every time.

And it's called into use for "pink sauce"---a concoction in which ketchup is pre-mixed with the mayo, and variously containing lemon juice, lemon zest, Worchestershire, a sprinkle of powdered garlic and/or sugar, some pickle juice, a dab of horseradish---all depending on the intended dish to be anointed---a salad, cold shrimp, hot crispy-fried fish or calamari, or just dribbled the length of a juicy hot dog, beneath the sauerkraut, chili, shredded Cheddar and minced sweet onion.

My Mother made spaghetti with Campbell's Tomato and a glug of ketchup. In a black skillet, with the pasta cooked well done. I just get the hankerin' sometimes to skip all that basil-chiffonading and Parmesan-grating, and just throw five ingredients in with that browned ground beef, top it with grated hoop cheese, and stick it in the oven for a few minutes to melt. Better'n chicken soup when you're feeling dicey.

And, of course, all ketchup lives upside down in the bottom of the fridge door.

[suzilightning]

johnnybird has now taken to eating his egg sandwich with ketchup on one side of the bread and mayo on the other...

can't do that but it's what he wants so he gets it. after all he is definitely worth it.

[barolo]

An interesting 2004 New Yorker article on ketchup:

The ketchup conundrum

It is because of Grey Poupon that the standard American supermarket today has an entire mustard section.  And it is because of Grey Poupon that a man named Jim Wigon decided, four years ago, to enter the ketchup business.  Isn't the ketchup business today exactly where mustard was thirty years ago? There is Heinz and, far behind, Hunt's and Del Monte and a handful of private-label brands.  Jim Wigon wanted to create the Grey Poupon of ketchup.