Sounds strange, I know. The reason why every bottle of Heinz, Hunt's, or any other brand of the familiar red stuff isn't being redundant when the label says "tomato ketchup" is that you can make ketchup from many other ingredients... including mushrooms! It was actually very popular back in colonial days (before tomato ketchup came on the scene), but still goes great with burgers, steaks, and other hearty savory fare. Rich in umami.
I use standard brown mushrooms (fun fact: white, button, brown, and portobello are all the same thing, Agaricus bisporus, just different ages/stages), but you can mix and match with shiitake, lion's mane, whatever your heart desires (and wallet allows).
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1 lb mushrooms
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 lb shallots (or onion), finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely grated or paste
1 knob ginger, finely grated or paste
1 bay leaf
black pepper
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1. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly with a damp paper towel and give them a rough chop, or quick pass through a food processor.
2. Mix thoroughly, in a large bowl, with salt and let sit for at least an hour. I opt to mash them up a bit with a wooden spoon or potato masher and let it sit overnight, but this is optional.
3. Pour mixture into a pot, bring to a boil, and then simmer for ~30min.
4. Let cool, then strain contents back into the bowl.
5. Strain the contents a second time (I recommend cheesecloth) back into the pot, and mix in shallots, garlic, pepper, ginger, and bay leaf.
6. Return to a simmer for at least another 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove bay leaf, let it cool, blend mixture if desired, and bottle it.
8. Remaining solids from step 5 can be oven-dried at 200F (spread thinly across a lined pan) and ground into a powder for seasoning.
Note on consistency: Mushroom ketchup is traditionally quite thin. To thicken it, closer to a mushroom gravy or tomato ketchup, you can simmer it longer and reduce it, and/or combine with a roux (though this will change the flavor somewhat), and/or add some of the cooked mushroom chunks back in before blending in step 7.
Other optional variations:
- adding in Worcestershire sauce at the end
- using freshly smoked mushrooms
- adding in other herbs and/or spices: this ketchup is extremely versatile and can be taken countless directions
+ I like a bit of heat, so frequently add some of the hot pepper mash left over from making hot sauce
+ if I know it's mostly going on steak & burgers, I might lean on a chimichurri-esque blend of paprika and finely-chopped parsley & oregano
+ if I'm thinking more Greek chicken wraps, I may incorporate lemon zest, cilantro, and fenugreek
I use standard brown mushrooms (fun fact: white, button, brown, and portobello are all the same thing, Agaricus bisporus, just different ages/stages), but you can mix and match with shiitake, lion's mane, whatever your heart desires (and wallet allows).
============
1 lb mushrooms
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 lb shallots (or onion), finely chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely grated or paste
1 knob ginger, finely grated or paste
1 bay leaf
black pepper
============
1. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly with a damp paper towel and give them a rough chop, or quick pass through a food processor.
2. Mix thoroughly, in a large bowl, with salt and let sit for at least an hour. I opt to mash them up a bit with a wooden spoon or potato masher and let it sit overnight, but this is optional.
3. Pour mixture into a pot, bring to a boil, and then simmer for ~30min.
4. Let cool, then strain contents back into the bowl.
5. Strain the contents a second time (I recommend cheesecloth) back into the pot, and mix in shallots, garlic, pepper, ginger, and bay leaf.
6. Return to a simmer for at least another 15-20 minutes.
7. Remove bay leaf, let it cool, blend mixture if desired, and bottle it.
8. Remaining solids from step 5 can be oven-dried at 200F (spread thinly across a lined pan) and ground into a powder for seasoning.
Note on consistency: Mushroom ketchup is traditionally quite thin. To thicken it, closer to a mushroom gravy or tomato ketchup, you can simmer it longer and reduce it, and/or combine with a roux (though this will change the flavor somewhat), and/or add some of the cooked mushroom chunks back in before blending in step 7.
Other optional variations:
- adding in Worcestershire sauce at the end
- using freshly smoked mushrooms
- adding in other herbs and/or spices: this ketchup is extremely versatile and can be taken countless directions
+ I like a bit of heat, so frequently add some of the hot pepper mash left over from making hot sauce
+ if I know it's mostly going on steak & burgers, I might lean on a chimichurri-esque blend of paprika and finely-chopped parsley & oregano
+ if I'm thinking more Greek chicken wraps, I may incorporate lemon zest, cilantro, and fenugreek
