Banana Ketchup

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Obsessive cook
Staff member
Joined
19 Apr 2015
Local time
5:27 AM
Messages
46,942
Location
Maidstone, Kent, UK
I was planning to try making spicy banana ketchup for the Cookingbites Recipe Challenge: Bananas and Plantain. I believe @Lullabelle tried some at a cheese tasting a while back, which was likely this brand. So in the interests of research I bought a bottle to try - intending perhaps to copy-cat it or improve on it. Anyway, I had a taste and I think its horrible! I'll eat almost anything spicy and this ketchup is certainly quite hot from chilli although not excessively so - but somehow, combined with the banana taste it just doesn't work - at least for me. It seems to me that banana overpowers the ketchup and has taken on that almost 'varnish' aroma that you can get if you use too many bananas in a cake or something.

Maybe its just me. If anyone would in the UK wants to try it I'll post them the bottle. I only tried a teaspoonful.

20181114_142134.jpg
 
This sounds very exotic, I've never tried banana ketchup (and to be honest they could have called it something more appetising...). I hope you haven't given up on making it though! My partner always buys a ton of bananas that then go off so this would be a good way to utilise them.
 
Cherry Kirschenbaum said:
This sounds very exotic, I've never tried banana ketchup (and to be honest they could have called it something more appetising...). I hope you haven't given up on making it though! My partner always buys a ton of bananas that then go off so this would be a good way to utilise them.
Click to expand...

I'll gladly post it to you if you PM me a postal address (doesn't need to be your home address). :D
 
Banana ketchup originated in the Philippines during WW II when there was a shortage of tomatoes to make tomato ketchup. I haven't tried it, and now - despite your reaction - I now feel compelled to pick up some. I've always seen it sold as a red ketchup, but I believe that color comes from dyes. Intellectually, I wouldn't have thought it would be so off-putting: both tomatoes and bananas have a sweetness to them. But, then again, I haven't tried it.

Maybe I'll like it so much that I'll use it in an entry for the Recipe Challenge (at which point I'll be happy you aren't the judge!) :laugh:
 
oddduck said:
What does it mean 2 bananas saved in every bottle? Saved from what?
Click to expand...

Quote from the company's website.

At Rubies in the Rubble we make condiments with a conscience.
We make our delicious range of award-winning relishes, ketchups and mayo sustainably, from ingredients that would otherwise go to waste, often for simply being the wrong shape, size or colour. Some say it's a load of rubbish...we take that as a condiment.
Click to expand...

Hence their name 'Rubies in the Rubble'
 
But most bottled sauces are made from fruits or veggies deemed not suitable for the consumer market, i.e. odd shaped, under sized, over ripe, etc. i call that marketing a bunch of hooey.
 
morning glory said:
I was planning to try making spicy banana ketchup for the Cookingbites Recipe Challenge: Bananas and Plantain. I believe @Lullabelle tried some at a cheese tasting a while back, which was likely this brand. So in the interests of research I bought a bottle to try - intending perhaps to copy-cat it or improve on it. Anyway, I had a taste and I think its horrible! I'll eat almost anything spicy and this ketchup is certainly quite hot from chilli although not excessively so - but somehow, combined with the banana taste it just doesn't work - at least for me. It seems to me that banana overpowers the ketchup and has taken on that almost 'varnish' aroma that you can get if you use too many bananas in a cake or something.

Maybe its just me. If anyone would in the UK wants to try it I'll post them the bottle. I only tried a teaspoonful.

View attachment 20653
Click to expand...

That is the fella, it is an acquired taste. I think it works well with cheese but not sure what else it would go with :scratchhead:
 
oddduck said:
But most bottled sauces are made from fruits or veggies deemed not suitable for the consumer market, i.e. odd shaped, under sized, over ripe, etc. i call that marketing a bunch of hooey.
Click to expand...

Maybe - I don't really know, but I doubt any other companies are using up unwanted bananas in the UK. So I guess its a good idea.
 
Never had it, but I have heard of it from people who have raved about it..Looks like I'll either have to pick some up or make some...
 
I've had it in a West Indian restaurant before. It goes well with very strongly flavoured food, such as spicy goat curry.
 
Rocklobster said:
Never had it, but I have heard of it from people who have raved about it..Looks like I'll either have to pick some up or make some...
Click to expand...

I remain to be convinced. But then, I've only tasted the one brand.

If you make it soon @Rocklobster you could enter the Cookingbites Recipe Challenge: Bananas and Plantain. But whatever and whenever, I'd be interested to hear about it.

buckytom said:
I've had it in a West Indian restaurant before. It goes well with very strongly flavoured food, such as spicy goat curry.
Click to expand...

I can see that might work. Well.. I am trying to see. Maybe I just don't like bananas.:ohmy:

@Cherry Kirschenbaum has bagged my offer of posting the rest of the bottle of sauce - I hope to post it to her tomorrow. It will be interesting to hear what she thinks.
 
Bananas are walmart's #1 item sold in the U.S. and i swear sometimes they let the monkeys toss them around before putting them out for display...they are always a bit beat up.
 
You really shouldn't refer to Walmart employess as monkees.

Monkees are more polite.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom