:smack: How could I forget that one? That’s pretty much the only non-tomato ketchup I remember seeing around here (Jufran brand – though it seems to be labeled as “Banana Sauce.” I could have sworn, for some reason, that it was labeled as “banana ketchup.”)
It’s fuzzy memory and I’m not going on a search for that article, but I seem to recall it being more about consumers being more comfortable with Heinz and not wanting to go out of their comfort zones, plus Heinz has such economies of scale that the boutique brands for a hamburger/french fry condiment couldn’t compete on price and it didn’t have the perceived worth. I’ve made my own ketchup 2-3 times, but I was only making it as a starter to a BBQ sauce.
There are two main brands imported, and I’ve seen both labels (but it may have been that I saw “Ketchup” in the Philippines). Any Filipino will call it banana ketchup, though. I don’t recall having heard any call it banana sauce.
Clearly, as my cite and quote says, more like mid-1800s.
I lament the loss of tomato catsup in the U.S. I haven’t seen any in decades.
She used plenty of sugar. I didn’t care for the combination of herbs/spices she used.
~VOW
Although I think you can cook better and cheaper food at home, surroundings and hankerings do account for a lot of the experience. There was a nearby bar that used to make the most amazing little sandwiches with strong aged cheese, smoked pomfret (oily fish) and pâté between slices of “French” bread, dripping with oil. Yeah, they sounded positively revolting to me, too, until I tried one. Anyway, I figured I’d start making them at home, since the ingredients are readily available and there’s no cooking involved. Still can’t figure out why they aren’t the same without that bar around them.
ETA: I also thought the OP was saying that PSAs are something you can’t make at home. D’oh!
My father got put on a very low sodium diet after some health issues. We went out to dinner at a chain Mexican restaurant and he ordered plain eggs. No salt. The cook was apparently baffled by this as they sent out saltless scrambled eggs loaded with chopped bell peppers. My father said they were tasty.
Kechap Manis, (Still available, as a thick, sweet, soya sauce was the original ketsup!), is still a widely used and popular condiment today.
When I was put on a low sodium diet, giving up ketchup was hard as I used it as a base for a lot of sauces, especially bbq! It was a struggle initially. Then I discovered a recipe online for faux heinz ketchup. Where I could control the sodium, sometimes adding a salt substitute. It’s very easy to make, from easily had ingredients and much cheaper than store bought (especially compared to anything ‘sodium reduced’.) it’s all I use now, been a real game changer at my house.
(It’s mostly tomato paste, corn syrup, white vinegar, onion and garlic powder, and comes together with a perfect flavour and texture.)
Last month we were in St Martin enjoying Mullet Bay Beach and we decided to get some lunch. We ordered food and more Rum Punch at Deleo’s Beach Bar. I pointed out that they had bottles of both Heinz and Hunts, which started a boisterous discussion with an overwhelming number of people choosing Heinz. Of course, the French prefer mayo. Personally, I like Matouk’s.
Odd thing about the island; snack stands and beach bars offer various condiments, but they universally offer Wishbone Italan Dressing, even if they do not sell salads.
Because you could put that stuff on a shoe and it would taste good
I think it tastes better straight from the bottle.
I saw people (locals) putting it on sandwiches, pizza, fish, etc.
I’ve never claimed I can make every single food item better and cheaper at home. I pretty explicitly said I can’t. I can still make food that is better and/or cheaper than what I get when I eat out, or buy prepared stuff at the supermarket. And so can most anyone who knows how to cook.
Homemade ketchup – even presuming that we’re talking about tomato ketchup – is just plain not the same creature as the commercial stuff. People used to one may well not like the other. I consider them two entirely different sauces. Once in a while I’m in the mood for the commercial. Most of the time I prefer my homemade – though it took me most of the way through the first batch I made, many years ago, for me to come to that conclusion. When I first tasted it I thought something had gone wrong.
I had a tomato chutney, that I used as ketchup. Different, interesting, and delicious.
Which is why we baked what we needed, and not more. =)
We recently tried that insane sauce that is 1 24 oz can of san maranzo tomatoes, 5 tbsp butter and an onion. They have you fish out the onion, but we chopped it fine and let it dissolve into the sauce. Oddly appealing even without garlic and herbs.
Burnt is also part of the flavor profile I seem to remember.
I did something similar but with whole Roma tomatoes. I blanched them then peeled, and had the 3 ingredients go for 45-50 minutes I think. Surprisingly damn good.
Yeah, that’s a classic Marcella Hazan recipe. One of my favorite pasta sauces. I always fish out and throw away the onion, though. It’s simple perfection, but most of my pasta sauces are very simple, usually tomato, onion or garlic (I tend to use one or the other), oregano or basil (same as before; if basil, added at the end), olive oil, and perhaps hot pepper flakes.
I don’t even remember where I found the recipe, it just sounded like something I had to try.