Ketchup SNOB here

[halos]

No indeed, I am not kidding. I can pick Heinz every time in a blind taste test. It is very bland and a has a strong carmelized sugar aftertaste. This is a result of overly long processing to produce a thicker product without using corn starch or similar fillers to stiffen up the result.

 

When Hunt's was a product of Hunt-Wesson Foods div. of Ohio Blue Tip Match, their ketchup was close to a perfect blend of spiciness and texture. It is no longer that good since Con-Agra bought the brand.

 

Almost all commercial ketchup today is a poor substitute for the real stuff as it is made with high fructose corn syrup and that assures a muddy, less crisp taste. It does make for a cheaper to manufacture product, though.

 

Doc

 

I'll go one better. ;)

I just stick a nice slice of tomato on my burger and call it a day. :)

[matj2000]

I would never buy Heinz only because of the John Kerry connection..

[G'ma]

I am originally from a small town in NJ that had a tomato cannery that also made ketchup. The only place they served it was at the local volunteer fire department when they had the fund raising breakfast. That was the only place I ever ate scrambled eggs withOUT ketchup. As far as I'm concerned, scrambled eggs or hamburgers, or french fries are merely Heinz ketchup delivery systems.:D I buy the big bottle 3 packs from Costco. I know it's time to get more ketchup when I get down to the last bottle. I hate to run out of Heinz.

 

Although they still grow tomatoes in the area, the cannery is no longer operational. Neither is the volunteer fire department.:(

 

Well, I raised my family in a "small town in New Jersey" and still live in a small town here. I remember when the tomato fields of south jersey teemed with plump ripe tomatoes - most shipped to Campbell soup in Camden..... Since they moved their operation to California, their tomato based soups have become cheap imitations.......

 

I also recall Progresso and others here in Jersey taking advantage of the abundant crops of all kinds for their soups and sauces.

 

Now, most of those fields are filled with overpriced townhouses and cookie cutter tract homes......and all those little small towns are connected to each other by strip malls and massive traffic problems.....

 

It's still possible to get really good Jersey tomatoes and other field fresh produce here.....you just have to drive farther to find those farmers still in business and still running a roadside stand......

 

Ah, progress.

[goodml]

I am a big Heinz ketchup fan - have the industrial size bottle in my fridge right now.

 

But seriously - the GREEN ketchup???:confused:

 

That was just wrong!:eek:

 

Agreed. We also had purple up here - not sure if you guys did too. Disgusting. Bet someone got canned over that bit of marketing genius.:D

[suzinva]

I remember the different colored ketchups, I thought they were disgusting. My son, who hated condiments, wanted some. He didn't like them either. I had some people tell me there was no difference in taste, but I know better :D

 

(BTW, I only buy Heinz as well and woe to my boyfriend when he moved in and wanted to buy the off-brand lol).

[happy cruzin]

Agreed. We also had purple up here - not sure if you guys did too. Disgusting. Bet someone got canned over that bit of marketing genius.:D

 

 

Yeah...none of the whacky colors were a hit with the kids like they were supposed to be :rolleyes:. I think blue stayed around longer than the other colors - green, purple, pink, orange and teal - but red is still the favorite :D!

 

They tasted great and were ok...as long as you did not look at them :eek:. Those colors made me think of tempera paint from grade school ;).

[candigirl41]

Wow, someone who likes HP sauce. It is one of my favorites. As for the ketchup I am a Del Monte fan.

 

Candi

[njgrlloves2trvl]

I too am a Heinz girl. Don't present me with Hunts I'll turn my nose up in a heartbeat. Although I have never smuggled it's not beneath me. I'd go plain before I put that red water on my fries. Now for mustard here's the deal: Yellow it's French's and whole grain deli it's Grey Poupon or Maille. Mayo is ALWAYS Hellman's you do know they make the very best :D. Miracle whip should be illegal as well as Kraft. I cringe thinking about it.