Sauces and ketchup are an essential part of the kitchen. They infuse flavor and spice into the food, making it more delicious. Both the condiments improve the taste when added to food. We definitely know ketchup and sauces are similar but not the same. Have you ever thought what exactly distinguishes them from each other? The key difference is in the components. Sauces are produced with a wide variety of ingredients while ketchup is primarily made of tomatoes.
Ketchup:
Ketchup originated in the seventeenth century, and were originally not made from tomatoes. The key ingredients were fish brine, herbs, and spices. It was the mid of eighteenth century when the word ketchup was first used for sauces that had vinegar in it. The connection with tomato juice did not happen until the beginning of twentieth century.
Sauce:
The sauce is always in semi-solid or liquid state. Always served with something else, sauce is used as a condiment to the main food. Initially it appeared to be a meat tenderizer and were used to enhances the flavour, moisture and increase the taste. This semi-solid or liquid condiment goes well with certain dishes and are not often consumed on their own.
Key Differences Between Sauce and Ketchup:
- Ketchup is a tomato-based table sauce whereas a sauce is a semi-liquid or liquid ingredient that is combined with food to enhance moisture and taste.
- The sauce is made up of several components including various flavorings and seasonings, while on the other side ketchup is mostly made with tomatoes and vinegar.
- Sauces go well with both savoury and sweet dishes, while ketchup is mainly paired with fast food like fries.
- Sauce does not contain any sugar, while ketchup has very small amount of sugar in it along with other sweet spices.
At last, we can conclude that ketchup is a sort of sauce but not all sauces are ketchup. Sauces are mostly made at home while ketchup is usually sold in bottles.
Here is an easy recipe of making tomato ketchup at home:
Ingredients:
- 1 kg crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup water
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¾ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 ¾ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp celery salt
- ⅛ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper (grounded)
- 1 clove
Method:
- Put tomatoes into cooker and add 2/4 cup water into it.
- Add sugar, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, celery salt, mustard powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and clove mix it properly.
- Cook on high, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by half and becomes very thick.
- Use an immersion blender for about 20 seconds to smooth the texture of the ketchup.
- Ladle ketchup into a fine strainer and press the mixture with the back of a ladle to strain out any skins and seeds.
- Transfer strained ketchup to a bowl and let it cool completely.
- Taste and adjust salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper accordingly.
And enjoy your homemade ketchup with snacks.
