Magical Cooking #157 - 16th July 2025

Hawthorn Berry Ketchup

• 510g of hawthorn berries

• 2/3 pint of cider vinegar

• 2/3 pint of water

• 170g of sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• black pepper to taste

1. To begin, remove the berries from the stalks and wash well with cold water. Add to a large pan with the water and vinegar, then bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for approximately half an hour, until the skins of the berries begin to burst

2. Take off the heat and pour the contents of the pan through a sieve to remove any stones and tough pieces of skin

3. Transfer the liquid to a clean pan with the sugar and place over a low heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar

4. Once dissolved, bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes more, until syrup-like and reduced

5. Season the syrup to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to sterilised bottles. The ketchup will last a good year in the fridge.

Ideal as a Mabon/samhain accompaniment.