Hey, man! You do you, OK? I’ll bet you have a bottle languishing in your fridge right now, hanging out on the side door, cozying right up next to the bottle of yellow mustard because if anything goes with ketchup, surely it’s mustard. The thing is, ketchup is a little bit boring. It’s mostly mashed and cooked down tomatoes with loads of sugar. I say let’s do it! And guess what? It’s already done. I present to you - Pineapple-Mango Ketchup. With chili peppers, of course. Yes! BOOM! Add garlic and cook another minute. Add tomato paste and stir. Cook down a minute or two. Stir in the pineapple, mango and tomato. Cook it down until the mixture is softened and begins to break down. Stir in the vinegar, cayenne, salt, pepper, and sugar. Cook for a bit longer. Cool the mixture, then process it until smooth in a blender or food processor. You can serve it as is, or strain it through a fine sieve for more of a “ketchup” consistency. It incorporates a solid base of ingredients with onion, peppers and garlic, then brings in fresh fruit in the form of pineapple and mango, thickens it up with tomato paste and some fresh tomato for good measure, and rounds it out with vinegar and other seasonings. The thing is, this can be sort of a BASE recipe for you if you’d like. You can easily incorporate other ingredients. Consider a Curry Ketchup, or perhaps an Italian Style Ketchup. You can vary up the flavor and heat levels as well by changing up your choice of chili peppers. I used jalapeno peppers for this for a mild level of heat, and because, um - #JalapenoObsession. Can’t help myself. Also, this ketchup is NOT overly sweet. That is my personal preference. One thing I don’t love about store bought ketchup is that it is usually too sweet for me. There is a bit of natural sweetness in the fruit and I do include a small amount of sugar, but if you prefer sweeter, adjust with a bit more sugar or even honey. Just taste along the way and adjust to your preferences. Here you go. I hope you enjoy it. Have fun! I’ve included a VIDEO of the recipe below, so be sure to check it out! Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
