The selection of the spices depends entirely upon the flavor desired.
Cinnamon, cassia, cloves, allspice, mace, pepper, paprika, cayenne
pepper, mustard, ginger, coriander, bay leaves, caraway and celery seed,
are all to be found in the various formulae. Some manufacturers spice
lightly in order to retain the maximum of the base flavor, while others
go to the opposite extreme on the misguided assumption that they will
act as preservatives. The quantity used should be determined by the
flavor desired and upon no other consideration. The spices may be used
whole, ground, or in some cases as acetic acid or oil extracts. The
whole spices are preferred by nearly all the manufacturers of high grade
goods. They are more expensive, but give a different flavor from the
extracts. The spices are weighed for each batch and are tied in a bag or
placed in a wire basket and suspended in the kettle while cooking. Some
use very large quantities and cook from only ten to twelve minutes in
order to get a distinctive flavor. This is very expensive, as only a
small quantity of the flavoring matter is extracted in such a short
time. One of the serious objections to the use of the whole spices is
that they may darken the ketchup and also cause some discoloration in
the neck of the bottle. For that reason, black pepper and allspice in
particular are being discarded, and oil of cloves is being used in part
for the whole berries. The grade of the spice will also have an effect,
the cheap stock being unsuitable for a bright clean product. Small
quantities of ground cayenne pepper are used as a substitute for the
black pepper.
Acetic acid extracts of some of the spices are being used to a certain
extent, but they have a peculiar harsh flavor that makes them
undesirable. The oil extracts can be used to only a very limited extent,
as they impart a flavor suggestive of the drug store.
One method of making a nearly complete extraction of the spices is to
place them in their proper proportion in vinegar a few weeks before the
ketchup season begins and then add the spiced vinegar in the proper
proportion to each batch. The result is different from that obtained by
cooking, and the method is not recommended for first grade goods.
The waste of spices in the usual process of manufacture is indicated by
some work done by Mr. H. E. Bishop of the laboratory of the Indiana
State Board of Health. He found that in making ketchup, when the boiling
was kept up for thirty minutes, that only 27.8 per cent of the oil of
cassia, 11.5 of the oil of cloves, and 33.3 per cent of the oil of
allspice were extracted. (Unpublished report.)
Paprica rosen, Hungarian, or sweet paprika, is used for coloring
purposes, though it parades as a spice. This is a mild variety of
Capsicum annuum, one of the species of the genus Capsicum, from which
cayenne pepper is made. The variety offered to manufacturers has a more
intense red color and much less pungency than the ordinary paprika. This
paprika can be obtained as the bright fruit, ground dry, or in oil. In
the latter, it is said, that part of the capsicin is removed, also that
the oil sets the color in inferior material. The oil is of a
reddish-yellow color and the large number of globules and irregular
masses serve to distinguish it from cayenne pepper. It fulfills the
claims of the importers—“coloring the ketchup, not adding materially to
the pungency, and coming inside the laws in being one of the regular
ingredients.” It requires just about sixteen times as much as would be
required of ordinary paprika to get the same flavor. Considering the
cost, in the relative proportion required, there can be little doubt of
its real purpose. It will conceal inferiority to ordinary observation in
that it gives a red color where otherwise a muddy color might be
present. The color does not have durability, and it is easily recognized
under the microscope.
Onions and garlic are added in varying quantities and may or may not be
kept in the batch throughout the whole cooking period. Considerable
difference in flavor is apparent with the length of time of the cooking.
Chili peppers are also used in hot ketchup or cocktails.
Vinegar is added to nearly all ketchup. Formerly the acidity was
obtained from the fermentation of the tomatoes and the resultant acid
was probably mostly lactic. The flavor was different and not so
agreeable. A good cider, grain, or malt vinegar may be used. Most
manufacturers prefer to use grain vinegar of ten per cent acidity, as
the volume required is less and interferes less with concentration. For
real flavor, however, this may not be the best. Lately, glacial acetic
acid has been substituted for vinegar, a practice which can not be
approved and which ought to be abandoned. Citric acid is also added by
some. Vinegar is usually added near the finish of the batch, as
otherwise it attacks the kettle to some extent and a part is driven off
in boiling. Experiments made by adding vinegar to pulp and evaporating
to fifty per cent of its weight in twenty and forty minutes,
respectively, show that in the former case the added acidity was
decreased in almost the same proportion as the total evaporation, but in
the latter case the acid was not driven off quite so rapidly as the
moisture. This does not correspond with views held by chefs, as most of
them seem to believe that practically all the vinegar is driven off. In
order to obtain the sterilizing effect of boiling in an acid medium, it
is advisable to make this addition at least five to ten minutes before
the end of the cooking period. In home-made ketchup, vinegar is usually
added near, or at, the start, and aids in sterilizing the product, as
boiling alone may not, whereas, boiling in the presence of an acid will,
sterilize.
Oil is not an essential to ketchup, and while a small quantity is often
used to prevent foaming, its use in large quantities is undesirable.
Sugar is added to give the desired flavor. The higher the acidity,
whether natural, or acquired by adding vinegar, the greater the quantity
of sugar needed. In the high grades of ketchup, granulated sugar only is
used, but in the cheaper grades, soft sugar or glucose, may be used,
though the latter must be declared on the label. The sugar is usually
added when the cooking is about one-half completed. There is an
advantage in heating both the sugar and vinegar in a separate kettle and
adding them while hot, as it will prevent a check to the cooking and
lessen the sticking to the coils or kettle.
Salt is used in small quantity and is added near the close of the
cooking process.
The use of flour or starch in any quantity for the purpose of making the
body thick or heavy is properly regarded as an adulteration. This is
also true of pulp from a foreign source, like pumpkin or apples.
The density of the ketchup is left usually to the judgment of the chef,
who depends upon the appearance as it pours from the ladle. A quick test
can be made by weighing, as done for pulp, but in this case each
manufacturer must determine his own standard. A ketchup having specific
gravity of 1.090 is apt to be thin; a satisfactory consistency is
usually about 1.120 to 1.140.
As soon as the cooking is completed, the ketchup is run through a
finishing machine to remove all hard particles of tomato, bits of spice,
etc., and to give smoothness to the product by breaking it up into very
small particles. There are two types of finishers, the shaking sieves
and the rubbing machines. The former is suitable for thin ketchup. The
resultant product gives the best possible appearance under the
microscope, the tissue showing whole cells, little tearing, and the
minimum amount of debris and mold filaments. The objections to the sieve
are that the capacity is small and the waste is comparatively large. The
rubbing finisher needs to be very carefully adjusted, otherwise it
forces practically everything through in a very finely comminuted state.
The cells of the tissues are torn to shreds, their contents discharged,
molds are broken into hundreds of fragments, and a ketchup may be made
to have the appearance of being made from poor material. The finishers
have large capacity and will work on either light or heavy goods, but
like the cyclone, must be handled with judgment, not attempting to force
the last ounce through the sieve.