Spicy Chipotle Ketchup

Spicy Chipotle Ketchup

• • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 sweet yellow onion, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs discarded, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 cans (28 ounces each) peeled diced tomatoes in their juices

  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo seasoning (about half a 7 ounce can) (this will be pretty spicy - use just 2 peppers for a more mild flavor and level of spiciness)

  • 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar

  • 2 tablespoons molasses

  • juice of 1 small lemon

  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 teaspoon whole cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt

  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the onion and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle peppers, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth (or puree in batches in a blender or food processor).

Add the ground cinnamon, cinnamon stick, ground cloves, whole cloves, celery salt and kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered for an hour and a half, until thickened and the flavors have developed.

For a "rustic" ketchup, remove the cinnamon sticks and the whole cloves with a slotted spoon and serve the ketchup as is. For a smoother ketchup, pour the mixture through a mesh strainer (or a food mill) into a heat-proof bowl, pushing it through the strainer with a spoon to strain out the pulpy bits of the tomatoes, peppers and onion. Discard the pulp and let the ketchup cool to room temperature (it will thicken a little more as it cools) and serve.

Yields 7 cups.

From Curly Girl Kitchen.