

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
It's ketchup but not as you know it in this sweet and sour sauce from River Cottage 2009
Hugh says: "This tangy sauce improves greatly if you keep it for a few weeks before opening."
1. Put the strawberries, onions and red pepper in a large, heavy pan over a medium heat. Bring slowly to the boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until everything is very soft. Push the mixture through a coarse sieve (you may have to do this in batches).
2. Return the smooth, sieved strawberry mixture to the pan and add the sugar, vinegar and mustard.
3. Tie the cinnamon, allspice, cloves, mace, celery seeds, black peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic in a square of muslin and drop it into the pan. This will allow all the flavour of the spices to infuse into the sauce, but makes it very easy to remove all the spices later. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cook, allowing it to bubble gently, stirring often and carefully, for 20 - 40 minutes or until thick and pulpy. Taste the sauce a couple of times while it is cooking and remove the spice bag if the flavour becomes too strong.
4. When it's good and thick, taste the sauce again and add salt to taste, and some paprika, if you’re using it. Then leave to cool.
5. Pour the ketchup through a funnel into suitable bottles and seal. Stored in the fridge, this ketchup will keep for a month. If you bottle it in sterilised jars while still warm, and seal it immediately with plastic-coated screw-top lids, it should keep for a year.
© River Cottage
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