Friday, October 4, 2013

How to Make Ketchup, 1774


"To make catchup to keep twenty years. Take a gallon of strong stale beer, one pound of anchovies washed from the pickle, a pound of shalots, peeled, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of cloves, a quarter of an ounce of whole pepper, three or four large races of ginger, two quarts of the large mushroom-flaps rubbed to pieces. Cover all this close, and let it simmer till it is half wasted, then strain it through a flannel-bag; let it stand till it is quite cold, then bottle it. You may carry it to the Indies."

Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery (1774)

Planning a twenty-year sea voyage to the Indies, but unsure which condiments to pack? This mushroomy ketchup will sustain and console you for decades. 

4 comments:

  1. It will last 20 years because it sounds absolutely disgusting...no one will eat it!

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  2. I don't know -- if I were half wasted, I might think it very similar to Worchestershire sauce (which I wouldn't be able to spell were I half wasted:)

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  3. It sounds delicious actually. Both mushrooms and anchovies are good sources for umami. It sounds like it would make a pretty big batch though, would need a good sized stock pot and a fair amount of kitchen ventilation before it was ready.

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  4. Ketchup has only been made from tomatoes in modern times; this dish is actually what the word "ketchup" referred to for most of its existence. And it is supposed to be *very* similar to Worchestershire sauce.

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