If it has to be red sauce in your household, try making our homemade ketchup, which gives the classic tomato condiment a festive twist. With a mix of miso, vinegar and sharp cranberries, it achieves a tangy flavour with an umami-rich backbone, which is balanced by the sweetness of soft brown sugar. Exchanging homemade gifts for Christmas this year? Try packaging your homemade ketchup up in sterilised bottles, or jars, and decorating with tied ribbon, or hand-written gift tags to add a personal touch.
Makes about 700ml
1 onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, sliced
4 bay leaves
500g cranberries (fresh or frozen, defrosted)
4 tbsp sweet white miso
150g dark soft brown sugar
250ml cider vinegar
1 Put all the ingredients into a saucepan, cover, then bring to the boil. Keep the bubbles going until the sauce has reduced by just over half (about 50-55 mins), then whizz together in a powerful blender until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
2 Using a funnel, transfer the ketchup into hot, sterilised bottles or jars (old vinegar bottles work well). Seal with a lid while hot, then cool completely before using. Your homemade ketchup will keep in a cool, dark place for six months but, once opened, should be refrigerated and used within two weeks.