How to Make Cherry Ketchup

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: March 29, 2019

Most people associate ketchup with the bright red tomato condiment. However, ketchup used to be made with a variety of fresh produce. Cherry ketchup is becoming more popular now and you can easily create your own. Tailor the flavor of the sauce according to your liking. Try a sweet cherry ketchup that includes honey and brown sugar. Or make a tangy cherry ketchup that includes two types of vinegar. You could even make a slightly spicy chipotle cherry ketchup that gets its heat from red onion, dry mustard, and chipotle powder. You might never want to use common tomato ketchup again!

Ingredients

Sweet Cherry Ketchup

2 1⁄2 pounds (about 5 cups or 1.12 kg) cherries, pitted
1⁄2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 cup (170 g) honey
1⁄2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
1⁄2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
1⁄4 teaspoon granulated garlic
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄2 cinnamon stick
1⁄2 lemon, zested

Makes 3 to 4 half-pints

Tangy Cherry Ketchup

1 1/2 pounds (about 3 cups or 675 g) sweet cherries, stemmed and pitted
1/3 cup (80 ml) apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
One 3-inch (7.5 cm) cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 whole star anise

Makes 2 half-pint jars

Chipotle Cherry Ketchup

1 pound (about 2 cups or 450 g) Bing cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
1 cup (150 g) diced red onion
⅔ cup 160 ml) apple cider vinegar
½ cup (100 g) palm sugar
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder
¼ teaspoon dried ground chipotle powder

Makes about 1 half-pint jar

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Making Sweet Cherry Ketchup

1
Stir together the sweetened cherry mixture. Remove the pits from 2 1⁄2 pounds (about 5 cups or 1.12 kg) of cherries and put them in a 6-quart saucepan. Stir in the vinegar and sweeteners until they're mixed well. You'll need to stir in:^{[1]
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- 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1⁄2 cup (170 g) honey
- 1⁄2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
2
Heat the sweetened cherry mixture. Turn the heat on to high and bring the cherry ketchup to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium, so the mixture bubbles gently. Let the ketchup simmer for 25 minutes.^{[2]
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- The cherries should become completely soft.
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3
Puree and season the cherry ketchup. Carefully pour the hot cherry mixture into a blender or large food processor. Put the lid on and puree the mixture until it's smooth. Pour the puree back into the saucepan and stir in these seasonings:^{[3]
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- 1⁄2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1⁄4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1⁄2 cinnamon stick
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
4
Cook the cherry ketchup. Turn the heat on to medium and let the ketchup cook for one hour and 15 minutes. Stir the ketchup regularly to keep it from sticking to the saucepan. The sauce should become thick as it cooks.^{[4]
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- Keep in mind that your cherry ketchup will also thicken a little once it's cooled.
5
Store the sweet cherry ketchup. Taste the cherry ketchup and adjust the flavors according to your taste. Carefully pour the cherry ketchup into a heatproof container and let it cool a little. You can store the cherry ketchup in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks.^{[5]
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- If you plan to store the ketchup in a glass mason jar, ensure that the jar is warm or the ketchup has cooled a little before you fill it. This will prevent the hot ketchup from breaking the cold glass of the jar.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Making Tangy Cherry Ketchup

1
Puree the sweet cherries and put them in a saucepan. Remove the pits from 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 cups or 675 g) of sweet cherries. Put them in a blender or food processor and pulse the cherries until they're pulpy. Scoop the cherries into a non-reactive saucepan.^{[6]
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- The cherries don't need to be completely smooth, since you'll purée the ketchup again after it's seasoned.
2
Stir in the seasonings. Pour 1/3 cup (80 ml) of apple cider vinegar into the saucepan along with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 3/4 cup (150 g) of sugar, one 3-inch (7.5 cm) cinnamon stick, 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger, and 1 whole star anise. Stir the seasonings into the cherries.^{[7]
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3
Heat the tangy cherry ketchup. Turn the heat on to medium and stir the ketchup mixture constantly until it starts to bubble. Turn the heat down to medium-low and put the lid on. Cook the ketchup for 30 minutes. Take the lid off every once in a while and stir the ketchup as it cooks.^{[8]
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- Don't worry if the ketchup mixture looks thinner than tomato ketchup at this point.
4
Puree and store the ketchup. Turn the heat off and take off the lid. Carefully scoop out and throw away the cinnamon stick and star anise. Pour the ketchup into a deep storage container and insert an immersion blender. Blend the ketchup until it's smooth. Store the ketchup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month.^{[9]
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- Keep in mind that the chipotle cherry ketchup may become a little spicier over time, since the flavors will continue to develop.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Making Chipotle Cherry Ketchup

1
Measure all of the ingredients in a blender. Remove the pits from 1 pound (about 2 cups or 450 g) of Bing cherries. You can use fresh or frozen cherries. Put the cherries in a blender along with 1 cup (150 g) of diced red onion. Pour in the remaining chipotle cherry ketchup ingredients. You'll need:^{[10]
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- ⅔ cup 160 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup (100 g) palm sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried ground chipotle powder
2
Puree the chipotle cherry ketchup. Put the lid on the blender and blitz the mixture until it's completely smooth. Don't worry if the cherry ketchup isn't thick. It will thicken up as it cooks. Pour the chipotle cherry ketchup into a saucepan.^{[11]
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3
Heat the ketchup until it's thick. Turn the heat on to medium and let the ketchup come to a boil. Reduce the heat, so the ketchup bubbles gently. Let the ketchup simmer for 45 minutes. Try to stir the ketchup every 5 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the pan.^{[12]
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- The ketchup should thicken as the liquid evaporates. It should look glossy once it's finished simmering.
4
Store the chipotle cherry ketchup. Carefully pour the ketchup into a clean storage container. You can store the cherry ketchup in the refrigerator for up to one month. If you want to process the ketchup in a water bath, you can store it for up to one year.^{[13]
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