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Wild Garlic Ketchup

wild garlic ketchup in a glass jar with fresh ramsons leaves on a slate board
Wild garlic ketchup is a tangy green condiment made with apples, vinegar, and fresh ramsons. A simple tomato-free ketchup perfect for spring cooking.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Foraged Ingredients, Preserves & Condiments, Seasonal Ingredients, Spring
Cuisine Wild Food
Servings 25 tbsp
Calories 18 kcal

Ingredients  

  • 2 packed cups wild garlic leaves about 60 grams
  • 2 medium apples peeled and diced
  • 5 small spring onions chopped
  • 250 ml apple cider vinegar 5%
  • 120 ml water
  • 2 tbsp honey or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped spring onions and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.
  • Add the diced apples, apple cider vinegar, water, honey or brown sugar, mustard powder, paprika, salt, and soy sauce or tamari. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
  • Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft and the mixture has reduced slightly.
  • Transfer the hot mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
  • Add the wild garlic leaves to the blender and blend again until the ketchup is smooth and evenly green.
  • Taste and adjust if needed. Add a little more honey for a sweeter ketchup or a splash more vinegar for a sharper finish.
  • Pour into a clean jar and cool completely before refrigerating.
  • For longer storage, return the blended ketchup to the saucepan, bring it to the boil for around 10 seconds, then pour into sterilised jars and process in a boiling water bath.

Notes

This wild garlic ketchup is naturally vegan and dairy-free, and it can easily be gluten-free if you use tamari instead of regular soy sauce.

Spiced version
 Add a pinch of ground clove, allspice, or black pepper while the base is simmering. These spices move the flavour closer to traditional ketchup and give the sauce a slightly deeper profile.

Fruit variation
 Replace one of the apples with pear for a softer sweetness, or use a sharp cooking apple if you prefer a more tangy ketchup.

Sweeter or sharper finish
 Swap the honey or sugar for maple syrup or brown sugar if you want a warmer sweetness. If you prefer a sharper condiment, increase the vinegar slightly and reduce the sweetener.

Ingredient substitutions
 If you don’t have spring onions, a small yellow onion or two shallots will work well. 

Keyword ramsons ketchup, tomato-free ketchup, wild garlic condiment, wild garlic ketchup, wild garlic recipe