Rachel’s Beet Ketchup

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb boiled or roasted, peeled beets, cooled and diced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground lemon peel
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer 40-50 minutes or until  about 1/2 of the liquid has evaporated. Pour into a blender* and pulse until smooth. Cool and refrigerate prior using. Store leftovers, refrigerated, in an air-tight container 2-4 weeks.

*You could use an immersion blender but the mixture splatters and beets stain.

Yield: 2 1/2-2 3/4 cups

My thoughts:

As readers know, I do not like ketchup. That is to say I do not like tomato ketchup. After having mango ketchup years ago at a mango festival in Miami, I have come realize other flavored, more “artisan” ketchups are just fine. It has been two years since I made my version of the mango ketchup I had that day and I thought it was time to take more. I’m really pleased with how it came out. Not as cloyingly sweet as commercial ketchup but not sour or pickle-y either. For the beet adverse, it really is ketchup, not just a sauce. It doesn’t scream beet, it is just subtly sweet and fruity.

Try it as a topping or swirled into meatloaf. I loved it on my “Scandinavian” burgers.

 photo coconut-sig_zpsb2fb208a.jpg

4 Comments

  1. Rachel, not many recipes make me want to run to the kitchen and make this NOW, but this sure does. Good thing the Farmer's Market here opens at 6 AM so I can get some beets at this hour. Looks wonderful to me! Thanks!

  2. Jessica@AKitchenAddiction

    Oh, I like this idea!

  3. This sounds truly interesting. I am definitely going to give this a try! My Russian daughter-in-law emailed me this link. I take that as a hint she would like me to make it.

  4. tomatoes give me heartburn sometimes but i absolutely LOVE ketchup but never thought of or new that it could be made with something other than tomatoes! i'll be trying this very soon that's for sure.