A deliciously different homemade ketchup! The season's juiciest blueberries paired with spices and maple syrup make a sweet-savory blueberry ketchup.
It feels like a race against time when berry picking season rolls around—not only to get those sweet gems picked but also to find ways to devour them. And this is absolutely the case with blueberry season in Vermont.
When we're swimming in baskets of fresh summer blueberries, I first pull out the tried and true recipes: blueberry muffins, blueberry coffee cake, and blueberry pie. My family and I snack on them from a bowl on the table, throw them into breakfast cereal, and toss them in a fruit salad.
At the same time, I try to think up some unique ways to put local blueberries to use. Past creations include a sweeeeet blueberry marshmallow milkshake and a blueberry icebox pie. This year, however, it's a savory treat: Blueberry Ketchup.
What is blueberry ketchup?
Okay, that's a fair question—after all, most of us when we hear "ketchup" think of that thick, red, tomato-based stuff that people either love or hate. (For the record, I have always been and will always be a ketchup lover.)
According to The History Channel, spicy, salty condiments with the names "koe-cheup" or "ge-thcup" were first used in ancient China. Seafaring traders brought the idea for these fish sauce-based ketchups back to their own countries, adapting the recipes to use available ingredients and to suit their tastes.
While ingredients in these homemade ketchups varied, including foods like mushrooms, nuts, shellfish, and fruit, what they all had in common was that they were cooked down until concentrated, then preserved with lots of vinegar and salt. In the 1900s Henry Heinz began mass-producing his tomato-based ketchup recipe in the U.S., and his ketchup empire still reigns supreme today.
Blueberry ketchup just replaces the tomatoes with fresh blueberries and has extra flavor from aromatics and spices.
It's hard to pinpoint the exact beginning of blueberry ketchup history. However, with abundant blueberry crops throughout New England and especially in Maine, there's no doubt that people found clever ways to make use of the berries—not only in summertime desserts but also preserved as sauces and condiments that would last through the long winters.
Why you'll love this recipe
Blueberries are tasty in sweet muffins, pies, and cobblers, but they're also delicious in savory dishes like this ketchup. It includes sautéed aromatics along with a little diced jalapeño for heat, then it's blended with sugar, vinegar, and spices. The result is a sweet-spicy-tangy-salty blueberry ketchup taste that traditional ketchup fans will love, and ketchup doubters will find surprisingly delightful.
Enjoy blueberry ketchup in the same ways you do regular ketchup: pair it with juicy burgers, or over hot dogs and sausages. I love to spread it over chicken drumsticks before baking, and over grilled chicken, too. Use blueberry ketchup in place of grape jelly or cocktail sauce to make appetizer-sized meatballs.
(My family's recipe for Chilli Sauce is another favorite condiment!)
Can blueberry ketchup be canned?
Yes! Because this ketchup is fairly acidic from blueberries and vinegar in the mixture, it can be safely canned in mason jars using a water bath canning process. Closely follow canning guidelines like these from Ball to properly preserve the ketchup.
🔪 How To Make Blueberry Ketchup
Step 1: Sauté veggies
Finely dice the aromatics and hot pepper, then sauté them until soft.
Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients
Pour in the blueberries, sugar, maple syrup, and spices like coriander and cayenne pepper, and stir everything together.
Step 3: Simmer until thick
Stir the ingredients over medium-low heat until the berries break down and the whole mixture is thick and fragrant.
Step 4: Let it cool
Remove the pan from the heat and let the blueberry ketchup cool to room temperature. You can use it right away or spoon it into a jar to keep in the fridge for up to a month.
Notes:
- This recipe, using three cups of blueberries, makes about two cups total of Blueberry Ketchup.
- You can keep it all for yourself, of course, or make extra batches to share with your friends or to put up for winter.
- Blueberry Ketchup can be stored in the fridge for up to one month. You can also can the ketchup using mason jars and water bath processing.
The recipe for Blueberry Ketchup is below, and here are more recipes to make with blueberries, too!
💬 Tell me what you think of this deelish ketchup! Leave a comment below.
Blueberry Ketchup
Ingredients
- 2 medium shallots, peeled and finely diced (Will yield ¾ cup diced shallots. Use 2 medium or 1½ large shallots)
- 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 3 cups fresh blueberries, washed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Vermont pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Sauté:
- Combine the diced shallots and diced jalapeño in a large saucepan with the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Sauté them over medium heat for about 5 minutes until they're tender. Stir in the two cloves of diced garlic, and sauté for one minutes more.
Add the rest of the ingredients:
- Stir in the three cups of blueberries, ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of real maple syrup, ¼ cup of white vinegar, ¾ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of coriander, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering, stirring the mixture occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes. The mixture should be thickened.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. You can use it this way, or spoon it into a sealed jar to keep in the fridge for up to one month.
Notes
- This recipe, using three cups of blueberries, makes about two cups total of Blueberry Ketchup.
- You can keep it all for yourself, of course, or make extra batches to share with your friends or to put up for winter.
- Blueberry Ketchup can be stored in the fridge for up to one month. You can also can the ketchup using mason jars and water bath processing.
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