The hedgerows here are packed with hawthorn, those gleaming red berries. What better than to make Homemade Hawthorn Berry Ketchup with such bounty. It’s just like an all natural version of that Great British classic HP Sauce!
Homemade Hawthorn Berry Ketchup
Autumn bounty just cries out to be preserved and what better than to make natural versions of shop bought classics. This Homemade Hawthorn Ketchup is just like HP Sauce. My own take on a real classic. Just perfect on a bacon roll.
This past weekend brought a day of perfect Autumnal sunshine on Sunday. It was such a change from the wet and windy weather we’ve been having that I was out of the house like a shot clutching my camera and wandering the lanes.
The golds of Autumn were everywhere, but what kept catching my eye were the cheery red Hawthorn berries dotting the hedgerow like little rubies glinting in the sun.
What are hawthorn berries?
Hawthorn is actually part of the rose family, just like rosehips found on wild dog roses. You can make use of the entire plant from the leaves to the sppring blossoms and of course the hawthorn berries, or haws as they are often called.
Hawthorn berries are incredibly good for you as they are packed with nutrients and antioxidents. Check out this article on the health benefits of hawthorn berries.
Haws aren’t the sort of berry you can graze on as you walk the lanes. You’d rather choke on their rock hard innards and bitter taste. However gather these little gems and take them home for cooking and you have a treat in store.
Needless to say I had left the house unarmed with any sort of bag for collecting. I couldn’t miss this chance to make the most of the bounty so made use of the pouch pocket in the front of my less than glamorous sweatshirt.
I plucked and picked my way along the lanes and headed home with an outline not unlike that of a mothering kangaroo.
On emptying my pouch I found I had 500g of hawthorn berry goodness. Now what could I do with them?
Homemade Hawthorn Berry Ketchup
I immediately thought of chutney but dismissed this one as I’d used up all the dried fruit the other day and hadn’t replaced it yet. How about just almost making chutney and having it as a Hawthorn Ketchup instead.
A spicy sauce, something deep and fruity and rich – a bit like HP sauce in fact. For non-UK residents, HP sauce is a spicy and fruity brown sauce, a bit like chutney ketchup really.
I was determined right there and then to try to make my own version of HP sauce using hawthorn berries as my base. Come on, doesn’t everyone do this on a Sunday afternoon?
How to make your own homemade Hawthorn Ketchup
It was a case of boiling up 300ml cider vinegar and the same amount of water with my haws until they were tender, this took me about 35 minutes.
Then I pressed them through my trusty old Muolie grinder (a sieve and wooden spoon would do but I do like playing with my old kitchen toys now and then) and returned the pulp to the pan.
Then added in 175g of light brown sugar and the following spices; 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, ground ginger and grated nutmeg.
Also a pinch each of ground cloves, ground allspice berries, and black pepper.
I brought it slowly back to the boil letting the sugar dissolve completely first and then boiled for about 5 minutes.
How much ketchup does this make?
This just made enough for one 350ml bottle of hawthorn berry ketchup but boy was it worth it.
How long will this ketchup last?
Your hawthorn bery ketchup will keep for about 6 months in a cool cupboard. Once opened store in the fridge and use within a month.
How to serve hawthorn berry ketchup
This ketchup is perfect on a bacon roll or with burgers. Anywhere that you would use a spicy brown sauce like HP sauce.
Here I’ve used it on a slice of toasted French bread with corned beef and some salad. It will lift the humblest of cold meats to new levels of tastiness.
Looking for more fun Autumnal foraging ideas for your larder? Then check these out before you go;
Spiced Crab Apple Jelly With Whisky
Sweet and sour pickled blackberries
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Homemade Hawthorn Berry Ketchup
Ingredients
- 500 g hawthorn berries
- 300 g apple cider vinegar
- 300 g water
- 175 g light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp each of salt ground ginger and grated nutmeg
- pinch each of ground cloves allspice and black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the hawthorn berries in the vinegar and water at a simmer for approx 35 minutes until tender.
- Press through a sieve with wooden spoon or use a veggie grinder.
- Return the pulp to the pan and add all other ingredients.
- Warm to dissolve sugar and then boil for 5 minutes.
- Pour into a sterilised bottle.
First time I’ve seen a use for haws, there’s an awful lot of them this year here, hedgerows are red with them.
If you have these wee beauties arouond you then go on and make this ketchup, it’s SO good!
K x
I don’t think we have any of them around here! Sounds very good…but please explain, what is HP sauce?!? Did you “chat” with Idgy yet? Get on it girl!!
Hi Nan,
Oops didn’t realilse you guys didn’t have this fab sauce in USA. It is a rich brown sauce packed with fruit and spice taste, savoury and wonderful!
Spoke to Idgy last night and cleared the air.
K x
Wow, that looks amazing. I am super impressed. I must look our for them on walks now!
Hi Jac,
You must have these around your area, no excuses now, get saucy!
K x
Wow – what a great use for these berries. I have to confess that I am not a huge HP sauce fan but my husband LOVES the stuff so he would definitely appreciate this recipe. Pleased to have discovered your blog via tinned tomatoes!
Hi Antonia great to hear from you. Why not make a bottle for hubby’s Christmas stocking?
Glad you like the blog and thanks for stopping by.
K x
I’m wondering the exact name of this bush or tree. I am in Canada and we have a Hawthorn tree here. Would they be the same?
Hi there,
yes hawthorn tree is one and the same thing.
K x
I also think I have lots a these trees around my place in canada but we alwased called them choke cerries. I think they are the same, just a kids version of the name?
Hi Barbara
Choke cherries are not the same as hawthorn berries which are smaller and bright red when ripe. I’ve used choke cherries before and they do give a good flavour so this may well be worth a try. Let me know how you get on.
All best
K x
Any substitutes for hawthorns ? Not too many hedgerows here in oz. my wife just came England but she only brought me back one bottle of hp fruity . Some people just don’t get it . We can get the normal hp .
Hi Terry
Try using plums, they will be sweeter though.
Glad you liked the recipe.
Karon
I would like to thank you for this recipe. I used a kilo of berries to make this sauce last night and it’s absolutely delicious! You’re right as well, it tastes just like HP 🙂
Hi Charlie,
So glad you like this recipe, it is one of my favourites as we’re surrounded by hawthorn bushes up here.
K x
Just read your post , I thought hawthorn seeds were toxic, so grinding the berries would also grind the seeds?
not had a problem in what I made
thank you so much for the recipe, the source is delicious! amazing depth of flavour, love it!
Glad you like it
K x
We don’t have hawthorns where I live in Turkey. Could I use Cranberries instead. Just made your plum and chilli chutney. It’s brill.
You would get a completely different far sweeter taste as haws are not like cranberries at all. Might be nice though.
K x
Made this yesterday, after the anxiety of “have I actually picked Hawthorn berries” I decided I had and got going! Super easy to make, really thick sauce with a real kick to it – think it’ll be great with sausage and mash and some kale! It needs robust food to go with it for sure.
Hi Hannah
Great to hear you made the hawthorn berry sauce. It certainly has a kick as you say. Hope you enjoy it on the sausages and mash!
K
Just made it this evening and it turned out great. A bit runny compared to the stuff in the store, but I’d rather know my ingredients !
Now that I know how good it tastes, I’ll have to pick a bunch more and store the ketchup in the cupboard for after this jar!
Hi Kirsten
So glad you made my recipe and like it so much. Homemade is always better than shop-bought and as you say it’s great to know exactly what’s in it.
K
How would this recipe work with a mixture of rowanberries and rose hips? I live on the Isle of Mull, and there are lots of rowans fruiting now, and lots of rose hips (Rosa Ragosa) in the garden. Would it be ok to treat these fruits as you suggest for haws?
Hi Diana
Yes you can mix your foraging finds just check out this recipe for my Scotch whisky hedgerow jelly https://larderlove.com/scotch-hedgerow-jelly/ I also have a recipe for rosehip jelly too so you should get all the info you need.
K
It might not be a welcome thing to say, but it is both utterly stupid and completely irresponsible to be suggesting that it’s alright to grind up the haw seeds. The seeds have something in them that converts to cyanide. And while haws are getting increasing attention for their potential health benefits, hat is NOT the seeds! Cyanide is NOT good for you! Eating the pips in one apple wouldn’t kill you, but one still shouldn’t eat them. And the seeds in haws are so much bigger, relatively speaking. It is sheer insanity to grind them up!
Joanne,
Your comment is rather offensive especially as it is completely wrong. At no point in my post do I suggest grinding the seeds. What do say is that I use my old vegetable grinder to remove the flesh from the haws. If you had ever used one of these you would know that the seeds are left behind in the grinder and the flesh pushed through. I also suggest that if you don’t have one of these simply press the haws through a sieve with a wooden spoon.
I never suggest grinding the seeds themselves. I suggest you read more carefully before you make such rude comments.
K
There are hunners of haws this year! I’ve made two big batches – it’s great on a bacon roll. We’ll try marinading with it too.
Hi Claire
Glad youve made lots of ketchup and are enjoying it so much.
K
Between gathering & de-stalking berries, then cooking & mashing through a sieve, this wasn’t a quick make. But my goodness – so well worth the effort. A bit like brown sauce, but sooooooooo much better ❤️ On my annual to do list .
Hi fee
It is well worth the effort and glad you liked it so much, a good one for annual foraging.
K