Apple and Quince Ketchup
Smooth and richly flavoured, this homemade apple and quince ketchup combines autumn fruit with warm spices, tamarind, and a touch of honey. It’s sharper and more complex than tomato ketchup, perfect for roasted vegetables, sandwiches, or cheese toasties.
Ingredients
- 400 g quince peeled and chopped. Around 4 quinces after peeling and coring.
- 450 g apples weight after peeling and coring.
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 40 g tomato paste
- 320 ml apple cider vinegar
- 120 g light brown sugar
- 50 g honey
- 15 ml soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp tsp ground cinnamon
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp fine sea salt adjust to taste
- 200 ml reserved fruit cooking water see steps
- Extra hot water, as needed
Instructions
- Peel, core, and dice quinces and apples; chop onion and mince garlic.
- Put diced fruit in a saucepan and cover with water; simmer 25–30 minutes until fully soft. Drain well and reserve 200 ml of the cooking water.
- Heat olive oil in a wide pan over medium; cook onion 8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste, mustard, smoked paprika, ginger, allspice, and cinnamon; cook 30 seconds, stirring.
- Add softened fruit, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, soy, Worcestershire, tamarind, salt, pepper, and the 200 ml reserved water; bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook uncovered 40–45 minutes on low, stirring occasionally, until thickened and amber-brown.
- Blend smooth (stick blender or jug). Add a splash of hot water if too thick.
- Push the warm puree through a fine sieve for a silky texture.
- Return to the pan and simmer on low 20–25 minutes, stirring often, until it coats the back of a spoon and deepens in colour.
- Taste and adjust salt or vinegar. Ladle hot ketchup into sterilised bottles/jars and seal. Cool, then refrigerate.