Strawberry ketchup in the Thermomix® is not a dessert dip. We make it to go with grilled sausages, burgers and pulled pork, because the combination of fruit acid and tomato puree creates a balance that ordinary ketchup cannot match.
The trick lies in the tomato puree. 100 g of tomato puree to 500 g of strawberries anchors the flavour in savoury territory. Without this base the result tastes like strawberry jam with vinegar, not like ketchup. The tomato puree provides the umami note, while the strawberries deliver the fruit acid and natural sweetness.
Strawberry Ketchup, Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 8 ✓
- 500 g strawberries
- 1 dried chilli
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 g tomato puree
- 40 g apple cider vinegar
- 10 g lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp pepper freshly ground
- 120 g jam sugar 2:1
Instructions 0 / 5
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1
Wash the strawberries.
Wash and hull the strawberries and drain in a colander.
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2
Chop the chilli.
Add the chilli and salt to the mixing bowl and chop for 4 sec / speed 10.
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3
Cook the ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients and the strawberries to the mixing bowl, blend for 15 sec / speed 8 and cook for 12 min / 100 °C / speed 1.
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4
Sterilise the jars.
Meanwhile, rinse the jars and lids with boiling water.
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5
Season and fill.
Season the strawberry ketchup with salt and pepper if needed, fill into the prepared jars and leave upside down for about 10 minutes.
Tip: You can give the ketchup an exotic twist by adding 1 tsp of curry powder in step 3.
Properly sealed, the ketchup keeps for at least 5 to 6 months. Store opened jars in the fridge and use within one week.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why jam sugar 2:1 instead of ordinary sugar
Jam sugar 2:1 makes the ketchup thick and set, not runny. Ordinary sugar only sweetens but does not bind. The pectin in the jam sugar ensures the ketchup thickens as it cools and stays on the sausage instead of running off.
You also need less sugar than with classic ketchup. 120 g of jam sugar to 500 g of strawberries is enough, because the strawberries already contain natural fructose. With ordinary sugar you would need at least 200 g to achieve the same consistency, and the ketchup becomes too sweet.
Chop the chilli first, not together with the strawberries
The dried chilli must be chopped separately at speed 10 before the strawberries go into the mixing bowl. If you blend the chilli together with the strawberries, it will not distribute evenly. The result: individual hot pieces in the ketchup while the rest stays mild.
4 seconds at speed 10 pulverises the chilli completely. The salt helps by acting as an abrasive, so the dry chilli breaks down more easily. Without salt, the chilli sticks to the blades.
15 seconds at speed 8 for a smooth texture
Blending at speed 8 determines whether the ketchup turns out smooth or chunky. 15 seconds gives a homogeneous mixture with no visible pieces of strawberry. If you prefer a more rustic ketchup, 10 seconds at speed 6 is enough.
Important: blend only once all ingredients are in the mixing bowl, including the jam sugar. If you add the jam sugar after cooking, it will clump and will not set properly.
12 minutes cooking time is the minimum
The ketchup must reach a rolling boil so the jam sugar activates. 12 minutes at 100 °C on speed 1 is the minimum. Any less and the ketchup will not thicken as it cools. Cooking longer than 15 minutes makes no further difference, except that the volume reduces a little more.
While the ketchup cooks, sterilise the jars. Simply rinse them with boiling water and do not dry them. The hot water kills bacteria, and the residual moisture evaporates when you fill the jars with the hot ketchup.
Turn the jars upside down to create a vacuum
After filling, turn the jars upside down for 10 minutes. The hot ketchup sterilises the inside of the lid and creates a vacuum as it cools. Without this vacuum the ketchup will not last 5 months but will go mouldy after 2 to 3 weeks.
You can hear the vacuum form: as the jars cool, the lid clicks inward. If the lid is still bulging outward once the jar has cooled, no vacuum has formed. In that case, put the jar straight in the fridge and use it within 3 days.
Curry variation for an exotic twist
Adding 1 tsp of curry powder to the recipe gives you a curry ketchup with a strawberry base. The curry accentuates the fruit acid of the strawberries and makes the ketchup more complex. We use mild curry powder, not hot, because the chilli already provides heat.
Add the curry powder together with the remaining ingredients before blending, not afterwards. Otherwise it will not distribute evenly.
Shelf life and storage
Sealed jars keep for 5 to 6 months at room temperature as long as the vacuum is intact. Opened jars must go in the fridge and be used within one week, because the jam sugar means the ketchup goes mouldy faster than commercial ketchup with preservatives.
Goes well with: Burger.
If you want to keep the ketchup longer, freeze it in portions. Frozen in ice cube trays it keeps for 8 months and can be placed directly from the freezer onto warm sausages.
More savoury Thermomix® recipes: Ajvar, Ranch Dressing, Coleslaw.
