“How did they make old-timey ketchup?”: A Caterpickles Investigative Report, Part Three
If you’re just joining us, recently The Five-Year-Old asked me how Americans used to make ketchup in those bleak days before Henry Heinz brought his ketchup to market in 1876. Monday we found and translated an old-timey recipe. Yesterday we cooked it. And today we’re putting it to the test.
First, we had to establish our test parameters.
Mommyo: “What foods do we want to test the catsup on?”
The Five-Year-Old: “Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, bread, and french fries. And I want some new-timey ketchup too.”
(That’s right. It’s another health food night at Caterpickles Central.)
Mommyo: “Do you want to do a blind taste test?”
The Five-Year-Old: “What’s that, Mommyo?”
Mommyo: “It’s where I put a blindfold on you so you don’t know which ketchup you’re eating.”
The Five-Year-Old, decisively: “No.”
Parameters set, I prepared The Five-Year-Old’s test plate.
Taste test prep complete. The watermelon is there to alleviate my guilt over the rest of the plate.
The Five-Year-Old: “Mommyo, you forgot the Heinz.”
Oh right.
What did The Five-Year-Old think?
The Five-Year-Old: “I don’t like it on chicken.”
The Five-Year-Old tries an oven fry and a hot dog.
Mommyo: “Well?”
The Five-Year-Old: “Delicious on nothing. Which means not delicious. Too spicy.”
My take, in case you’re curious
Our old-timey ketchup tastes a lot like modern A1 sauce. I actually like it, although I’m not surprised that The Five-Year-Old doesn’t. There is a strong mustard flavor to it. While I didn’t like our catsup on the chicken or the oven fries, it was reasonably good on the hot dog. But what I really want to do is try this with steak, on a hamburger, or as a replacement for store-bought ketchup in my Mom’s meatloaf. Fortunately I have lots left.
Mommyo: “So The Five-Year-Old, do you want me to find another ketchup recipe that’s more like Heinz?”
The Five-Year-Old, enthusiastically: “Find the recipe for Heinz, Mommyo!”
Mommyo: “Hmm, it would be a lot easier just to buy Heinz.”
The Five-Year-Old: “Mommyo, do you have a recipe for Victorian-times ice cream?”
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One Response to ““How did they make old-timey ketchup?”: A Caterpickles Investigative Report, Part Three”
[…] have to tune in tomorrow to see what The Five-Year-Old thought, as it’s press time and dinner hasn’t happened […]
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