Name: Chipotle Ketchup
Total time: 4 h
Yield: Serves 32 (makes two 1-cup jars)
Ingredients: 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1 teaspoon whole cloves; 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half; ¼ teaspoon allspice berries; 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil; 1 onion, chopped; 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce; 3¾ pounds tomatoes, cored and chopped coarse; ¾ cup cider vinegar; ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar; 1½ teaspoons salt

Why This Recipe Works

Cloves are said to be the “secret ingredient” in top commercial brands of the sweet tomato-based condiment, so we gave it a try. We loved the warmth that cloves brought to our ketchup, so we added cinnamon to accentuate the spice. For a smoky backbone without too much heat, we added chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce. Having developed a flavor that we liked, we focused on texture. In order to achieve a silky smooth consistency, we strained our mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Without a little help the thick puree had a hard time passing through the strainer; pressing the back of a ladle into the sieve helped to extract as much ketchup as possible.

Before You Begin

This ketchup cannot be processed for long-term storage.

Instructions

Bundle bay leaves, peppercorns, mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, and allspice in cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine to secure; set aside.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping bottom of pot, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Transfer mixture to blender, add chipotles and half of tomatoes, and process until smooth puree, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl. Process remaining tomatoes in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl with pureed mixture.

Working in batches, strain pureed mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over now-empty pot, pressing firmly on solids with ladle to extract as much tomato pulp as possible; discard solids.

Stir in vinegar, sugar, salt, and spice sachet and bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot, until mixture has thickened, darkened in color, and measures slightly more than 2 cups, 30 minutes to 1 hour. (Ketchup will continue to thicken as it cools.)

Discard spice sachet and let ketchup cool slightly. Using funnel and spoon, portion ketchup into two 1-cup jars, then let cool to room temperature. Cover, refrigerate, and serve. (Ketchup can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)