I’m a big fan of lists. Grocery lists. To-do lists. Not to-do lists. To-read lists. Covet lists. I-totally-want-to-drink-that lists. I’m-jealous-of-your-hair lists. Wake-up-early-and-change-the-world lists. Sweep-the-dang-kitchen-floor lists.
My favorite, and most recent list is the Summer Bucket List: a dreamy list of things I want to do while the sun (and I) stay up late. Do you have one of these lists? ooh I hope so! Tracy and I have talked about our Summer Bucket List on the Joy the Baker Podcast (are you hip to that yet!?). Here’s a peek at the Bucket List happenings:
– Go on and Get Crafty!
– Walk around New York City like I know what’s up! Sometimes this is hard for a California girl… but I’m totally doing it riiiight now!
– It’s time for a public dance spectacle. Oooh ya. It’s real. As soon as I learn some moves I’m doing this!
– Eat too many hotdogs, in a pool, wearing floaties, during sunset. Sounds like the weirdest, most romantic eating contest ever. Awesome.
– Beach bonfire. With a trampoline. Does this only happen in The Big Lebowski?
Also on my list: Make Homemade Ketchup! It’s happening!
Yes… you can totally buy ketchup at the grocery in a squeeze bottle. Pffft. It’s so satisfying to make and majorly easy to customize. Buck-it! It’s summer!
Ketchup starts with onion, garlic, and spices.
Did you know that ketchup has so many spices in it? Heck yes! A good base to start with is clove, allspice, mustard powder, and smokey paprika.
As a kick in the pants, I added a big bit of yellow curry powder!
Other ketchup heavy-hitters are: crushed canned tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, and tomato paste. It just needs a good boiling. About an hour of slow boiling turns this mixture into a luscious ketchup creation.
I like to blend the ketchup with an immersion blender and strain it through a fine mesh strainer.
No seeds and super smooth!
… Just look at this! This is inappropriately exciting.
The presence of ketchup really just means one thing: FRENCH FRIES!!! You best believe I’m showing you how to make these little fried potato gems on Friday. Get your ketchup going in preparation. It’s totally a weeknight activity.
The curry in this ketchup lends a subtle yet really enticing flavor to the mixture. It’s sweet and round, has just the right amount of acid, and the combination of clove, mustard, paprika, and curry really just knows how to work. I love that I can boil this in my kitchen. It feels like magic.
I hope you’re inspired to make this! We have fries in our future!
Homemade Curry Ketchup
makes about 3 cups
recipe adapted from What’s Gaby Cooking and Saveur
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground yellow curry
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon smokey paprika
big pinch ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Place oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. I used a 3 quart sauce pan and it seemed like the perfect fit. Saute onions until they are transparent, tender, and begin to brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste, salt, and all of the spices to the pan. Stir until the tomato paste is evenly distributed, and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, vinegar, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Let mixture simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes. Mixture will thicken to a ketchup consistency. Stir occasionally.
Remove pan from heat, and use an immersion blender to blend to the chunky ketchup smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully place the warm ketchup in a regular blender to blend smooth. Just be sure to leave the blender lid slightly ajar so the warm contents don’t burst. After using either an immersion or regular blender, strain ketchup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. This will remove any unwanted seeds.
Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Store ketchup in glass jars in the fridge. Ketchup will last for up to 1 month in the fridge!
alexandra @ sweet betweens [blog]
I’ve been itching to get on the whole “DIY condiment” train but have been less than enthused by the pretty typical salad dressing recipes out there. But this? Oh this is SO getting made. ASAP.
Thanks for sharing, Joy!
@
Emily D.
I am definitely going to have to start a Not-To-Do List.
Can’t wait for the fries recipe (which will be on my TO-DO list). They look amazing.
Carissa
I am so doing this!!! Maybe I’ll can some and give it as gifts. Love the curry addition.
Holly
I’m not a huge ketchup fan, but this looks really good. And homemade sauces are always the best.
My summer bucket list includes things like finish longterm projects that won’t be finished by the end of summer. I should stop aiming high and stick to your hotdog in the pool idea.
Jordan @ Bake Write Sleep
Mmmmmm! I love curry ketchup on my burgers. Nomz.
Meghan
Joy – where did your jars come from? I’m in love.
Allyn
One of our favorite burger places here in Nashville has a curry ketchup that my husband always gets on his burger. SO good. We save our fries for their beer gravy though. And I save my belly for their stroganoff burger.
Marie
Hmmm perfect with burger and fries from my home! :)
Lori Ferguson
Joy, this sounds delish!! I really hate the high sugar content and artificiality of store-bought ketchup, so this is a must make. Thx!!
Diane, A Broad
After my adventures making mayonnaise this week, this sounds totally do-able. Not to mention that ketchup isn’t a staple here like it is in the US. Then… then… BBQ sauce, the king of all sauces? Made with homemade ketchup. Yeah buddy.
Becca- Cookie Jar Treats
OMG! You’vve answered my unasked prayers! I ADORE ketchup! And so does my sister and dad. We go through a BIG bottle of ketchup in about a week. We always need to have a stash of at least three extra bottles in the pantry. Once there was no ketchup in the house… boy was that a sad night.
It’s amazing you came up with this! :)
Julia {The Roasted Root}
I’m so making this! On a recent trip up to Victoria, we had fish and chips and got curry ketchup to dip the “chips” in. I had never seen or heard of it before and couldn’t stop with the chips because the curry ketchup was so good. Great recipe idea and on my to make list!
cindy
ain’t no thing wrong with ketchup and fries…and hot-dog-pool dinner.
Katie
Ketchup like that seems totally worth the effort it takes to make. It makes me think about what’s on my summer bucket list…. I know I want to pickle lots of delicious veggies!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
gotta love a good ketchup! This one is super unique!