Crabapple Catsup

So, my adventures in crab apples started me thinking about catsup. I've made catsup before, and even have a couple of recipes that will suffice in a TEOTWAWKI  situation.  That is to say, they're edible, and without a better alternative, I guess I could get used to them, though truthfully, I don't really like them.

One of the issues I had, was that they're too runny, and taste too much like vinegar.  Reading that the crabapple pomace could be used for catsup made me wonder, where's the recipe?  The pomace itself is thick and sour, without the vinegar taste.  I think it could make a good catsup base.  So I started searching, and found a very basic recipe, as follows.

Crab-apple catsup  


Obviously an old recipe, and of course it's not going to taste quite like store bought.  I have a very boring palate.  But maybe I could combine the crabapples with a tomato catsup recipe.  I looked up a couple for reference.

Amish Tomato Ketchup Recipe 
 Tomato Ketchup Recipe

 And then, since playing with the ingredient list worked out pretty well for my cucumber relish, I thought I'd grab the ketchup bottle out of the fridge too.

tomato paste, water, glucose, vinegar, salt, spices (soybean oil, celery)

So why not just play and tweak the recipe until it resembles something like store bought ketchup?  Because I don't live in the banana belt.  Crabapples seem to be able to handle the cold, while tomatoes are kind of hit and miss with a lot of babying and prodding along the way.  Boiling down the few tomatoes I get each year to a paste just seems like such a waste, especially if I can substitute some crabapple pulp, which is abundant.  So, I started with the Crababble Catsup recipe (which tastes pretty good on it's own)  and then added tomato ketchup ingredients, tasting as I went.  It's pretty good, if I do say so myself!

Crabapple-Tomato Catsup

 10 cups crabapple pomace
 2 cup sugar 
 2 tsp pepper
 2 cloves garlic
 2 tsp of cinnamon
1 onion, puréed
2 tablespoons salt 
1 cup vinegar


20 cups (or the rest of the pot) tomatoes, puréed
1/2 Tablespoon allspice
1/2 Tablespoon whole cloves
1/2 Tablespoon celery seeds
 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

 Combine all ingredients.  Boil. Reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency.  Return to boil.  Pour into sterile jars leaving 1/8" of head space. Process in a boiling water bath 15 minutes.

 

 The only concern I have is that I'm not sure how long it will keep in the fridge.  Smaller jars might be more appropriate.

I just finished off the last of the ripe tomatoes with the second batch of this recipe, when Mom and Dad brought me over another 2 bags of green tomatoes.  I think I could have done pasta sauce this year after all.