It is used as a dressing or table condiment to dishes that are usually served hot and are fried or greasy: french fries and other potato dishes, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, hot sandwiches, meat pies, cooked eggs, and grilled or fried meat. Ketchup is cold and is never heated as a rule.
Tomato ketchup are often seen as a base in a meat marinade. This is because the acidic nature of tomatoes tenderizes the meat, breaking down tough fibers and enabling the meat to hold more moisture – it makes the meat tender and juicy.
Premium quality ketchup with a high solids content derives their viscosity from a combination of water retention of the fibrous strands in the paste and the gelling effect of the pectin, which is released via high-pressure homogenization.
The first known published tomato ketchup recipe appeared in 1812, written by scientist and horticulturalist, James Mease, who referred to tomatoes as “love apples.”
Tomato ketchup
