Rhubarb and Beetroot Ketchup
Of all the ideas I had to use up the rhubarb from making the rhubarb gin, this is by far the most versatile and classy. Who doesn’t love ketchup? Whether you’re a hot dog kind of person, into your thrice-fried chips, or you’re looking for something a little different to glaze your latest roast dinner with, this ketchup is a must. Although the internet is full of all sorts of alternative ketchup recipes, I’m going to share with you my thought process in making this ketchup and why I chose to pair rhubarb with beetroot. Namely, cardamom. Cardamom is the key that links the rhubarb and the dryness of gin with the sticky sweetness of roasted beetroot. And when backed up with a pinch of cinnamon and cloves, this ketchup is well on the way to becoming a new favourite of mine (so it’s lucky that this recipe makes 4 medium jars/bottles worth).
If you’re thinking of trying this recipe out but aren’t much of a gin drinker then don’t worry, you can substitute the rhubarb for fresh. Just chop it up the day before and leave it at room temperature in an airtight container with the sugar. The sugar will begin leaching out the plant juices and make a syrup which we’ll use as the cooking medium for the ketchup.
And if you don’t like the amount of sugar used in store bought ketchup, give this recipe a go. Whilst we do still use sugar, it is far less than in conventional ketchup and unrefined (as the beetroot plays a large part in sweetening it). In the coming months you can expect to see this ketchup featured in a lot of recipes, so feel free to make as much as you’d like!
Rhubarb and Beetroot Ketchup Recipe
30g ginger root, diced
1 white onion, diced
2 beetroot
300g rhubarb
100g demerara sugar
100ml balsamic vinegar
0.5tsp cinnamon, ground
0.5tsp cloves, ground
0.5tsp cardamom, ground
Step 1.
Remove the rhubarb from your gin and toss it around with the sugar. Leave it in a sterilized container at room temperature for 12 hours to extract the rhubarb juices from the plant and make a syrup.
Step 2.
Preheat the oven to 210C/410F and clean the beetroot ready to cook. Place them in a roasting dish with a drizzle of oil and season (if they’re large then you may wish to halve them as I did). Cover with foil and roast for 1.5 hours, then remove the foil and turn the temperature down to 180C/350F and continue to roast them for another 30 minutes until sticky and soft.
Whilst the beetroot roasts, dice the onion and ginger and gently fry over a medium low heat to sweat them down and bring out the sweetness and aroma. Put the rhubarb and syrup into a saucepan over a medium high heat and begin cooking it down into a preserve. After about 15 minutes enough water should have evaporated that the remaining sugar will begin to replace the juice, turning it into crystalized rhubarb. At this stage, add the balsamic vinegar and spices and continue to cook for 5 minutes. (See image below of finished rhubarb).
Step 3.
Once your beetroot have cooled enough to handle, roughly dice them and add all of the ingredients to the blender with a pinch of salt. Blend on a low speed until the ketchup becomes smooth, then increase the speed until you’ve reached your desired consistency. (You may need to add more vinegar/sugar, or loosen with a little water if you’re ketchup is too thick to blend properly).
Whilst blending, sterilize your jars or bottles (I found this recipe made 4x 500g jars of ketchup), then fill each jar and store in the fridge. If you wish to seal the jars, lower them into a pan of boiling water so that they are covered. Boil them for 10 minutes before removing them and place them on a tea towel to cool and dry. You should hear the lid snap into place as it cools, but if not, check to see if the metal is indented. If any of the jars don’t seal properly (or if you are in doubt), just eat this one first and save the rest for later.
