DIY: Hedgerow Ketchup
/
This is a super delicious and nourishing ketchup recipe using foraged hedgerow finds! Recipe from River Cottage. Well worth the effort.
You’ll need a baking tray, sieve, muslin cloth.
Makes approx 300ml
Ingredients (when in italics available from the van)
500g hedgerow fruits (a combination of whatever you can forage blackberries, elderberries, crabapples, haws, sloes, rosehips - can also use tomatoes if you have available)
300ml apple cider vinegar (approx £1.50)
170g demerara sugar (approx 56p)
½ teaspoon salt (approx 4p)
a couple of cloves
a good grind of black pepper to taste
Total cost from Incredible Bulk approx £2.10
Method
Rinse the hedgerow finds in cold water, picking out any stray stalks. Roughly chop the crab apples (no need to peel or core them) and if using rosehips de-seed them before putting all in a pan. Cover with the vinegar and 300 ml of water, add the spices and simmer until all the fruits are soft (if using haws simmer until the skins split revealing the yellow flesh and soften). Take off the heat. Rub the mixture through a sieve to remove any stones, cloves and skins.
Return the fruity mixture to a clean pan. Add the sugar and heat gently, stirring, until it dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a sterilised bottle and seal with a vinegar-proof cap. Leave for a couple of days. Use within 12 months.
Zero Waste Tips
You should be able to find most ingredients from your local refill shop.