Title: The History of Ketchup
Headings: The History of Ketchup
The History of Ketchup
From China to England
The Addition of Tomato
The Ketchup We Know Today

Content: that credit goes to a farmer named Jonas Yerkes, who was selling bottles of ketchup nationally by 1837. It wasn't until roughly 40 years later that the F. & J. Heinz Company began selling tomato ketchup, and by the end of the nineteenth century, it was the primary type of ketchup in the United States. Gradually, the descriptor of tomato in "tomato ketchup" was dropped from its name. Originally, unripe tomatoes were used, which required the addition of a preservative called sodium benzoate to prevent spoilage and loss of flavor. But in the early 1900s, the Food and Drug Administration banned the use of this additive, and Heinz began making their ketchup with ripe tomatoes, which contain more of the natural preservative pectin, and adding sugar and vinegar. Due to the increased amount of pectin, the resulting ketchup was thicker than the watery previous version. Over the years, ketchup has evolved from the bottle to the large pump, small packets, and even a short-lived selection of different colored varieties (with the addition of food coloring). Heinz chose the spelling "ketchup" to print on their labels, but catsup and catchup are acceptable spellings used interchangeably. However, ketchup is the way you will find it listed in the majority of cookbooks. Read More