French Canadian Ketchup Chow Chow Food

FRENCH-CANADIAN KETCHUP (CHOW CHOW)

Steps:

• Blanch tomatoes for 15-30 seconds in a large pot of boiling water over high heat. then remove, peel, core and chop tomatoes. Put tomatoes, onions, celery, peaches, pears, apples, vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until ketchup is thick and the consistency of chutney, 2-1/2-3 hours. Spoon ketchup into sterilized jars, cover with tight-fitting lids, and store in refriferator for up to 6 months. Remove bay leaves before serving.

FRUIT KETCHUP

Steps:

• Peel and core tomatoes. Chop all fruits and vegetables in 1/2 inch cubes.
• Put fruits, vegetables, vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spices, and black pepper in a heavy-bottomed pot and stir to mix thoroughly.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour.
• While ketchup is simmering, sterilize enough Mason jars and lids to hold the recipe.
• When fruit ketchup has simmered for an hour, fill the jars up to a 1/4 inch from the rim, cover with a lid and screw loosely. Wait for lids to pop and screw them tighter.
• Store jars in a dark cool place. Let fruit ketchup stand for at least three weeks before serving. Fruit ketchup will keep for a year.

QUEBEC FRUIT KETCHUP

Steps:

• Peel and cut the tomatoes in big chunks.
• Peel, cut the core away and cut the apples in pieces.
• Slice the celery stalks thinly.
• Cut the pepper, slice off the seeds and cut in small pieces.
• Peel the onions and slice them to obtain nice thin slices.
• Pour the fruit cocktail can through a sieve and keep only the fruits.
• Put all the ingredients except the fruit cocktail in a big pot, bring to a boil and reduce heat so that it only makes little bubbles (slow to medium-slow heat).
• For the whole cooking period, put 3 pennies evenly spaced on your burner to avoid the sticking in the bottom of your pot. Also, it is important to stir often: cook for one hour then add the fruit cocktail pieces and cook for another hour. The consistency of the liquid part of this ketchup is similar to a thick syrup and you can verify by putting a spoonful in a cold saucer when near the end of the cooking time.
• Put in sterilized jars (Mason type) and close the lids.
• Store in a dark cool place.