Damson ketchup
This easy damson ketchup recipe is lightly spiced with star anise, cinnamon and cloves for a fruity, sweet and warming flavour. It's especially good in a bacon sandwich, is heavenly with cheese and works with pretty much everything tomato ketchup does!
Damsons are naturally sweet and sour, which make them an excellent candidate for a ketchup. We like to add a little beetroot which lends an earthy flavour, mellowing out the sourness of the damsons. It also acts as a thickener, giving your ketchup a lovely glossy texture.
As the damsons themselves are sour, we haven't added much vinegar, meaning the shelf life isn't as long as other preserves – but it does freeze well if you've made a big batch.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
- 80g of cooked beetroot, (approx. 1 medium beetroot)
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 350g of damsons, washed and any insects removed
- 80g of sugar
- 30ml of red wine vinegar
- 50ml of water
- salt
Method
Transfer the contents of the pan (discarding the whole spices and bay leaf, unless you want a very spiced flavour) to a blender and blitz for a few minutes until you're left with a smooth purple ketchup
GBC Kitchen is where you'll find accessible, inspiring recipes with a twist, from our in-house team of recipe developers. Perfect for mid-week meals or special occasions alike, GBC Kitchen recipes will help you become a more confident cook, and impress those around you in the meantime!
Get in touch
Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.
