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!

First published in 2019
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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

Method

1
Begin by halving and removing the stones from the damsons
2
Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan and add the onions, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are soft and translucent
3
Add the damsons with the cooked beetroot, vinegar, sugar and water and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the damsons have broken down and released their juices
4

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

5
Taste and season with salt. Damsons can vary in their sourness so you may want to adjust sugar levels or add a splash more water until you are happy with the taste
6
Leave to cool then store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks

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