Ketchup aux Fruits

Pears and apples round out the acidity from tomatoes in this sweet-and-savory French Canadian condiment.

Makes
10 cups
Time
2 hous 30 minutes

PHOTO: HEAMI LEE • FOOD STYLING: JASON SCHREIBER

Published on December 16, 2025

In Quebec, fruit ketchup isn’t just a tasty accompaniment for holiday tourtière; it’s a way to preserve the seasonal harvest for the colder months. While recipes commonly call for summer peaches and sometimes plums, this variation embraces fall fruits. Use whatever fruit is in season and on hand for this tangy grownup ketchup that can be spooned over roast meats, added to a cheese board, or served with charcuterie. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking; I prefer to use one cup, while some members of my family will use up to two for a sweeter condiment.

Featured in “In Montreal and New Orleans, A French Holiday Celebration Endures” by Chantal Martineau and Kayla Stewart.

Ingredients

8 medium tomatoes (about 4 lbs.)
1–2 cups sugar
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. dry mustard powder
6 apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
6 pears, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 clove

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Instructions

Step 1

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Using a sharp knife, cut a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and cook until the skins begin to loosen and curl, 30–60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water until cool enough to handle. Using your hands, peel the tomatoes. Finely chop the tomatoes, then add them to a large nonreactive pot.

Step 2

Add the sugar, vinegar, black pepper, coriander, salt, mustard powder, apples, pears, onions, bay leaf, and clove to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1½–2 hours. Set aside to cool, then remove and discard the bay leaf and clove. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, leftover fruit ketchup will keep for up to a week.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Using a sharp knife, cut a small “X” on the bottom of each tomato. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water and cook until the skins begin to loosen and curl, 30–60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water until cool enough to handle. Using your hands, peel the tomatoes. Finely chop the tomatoes, then add them to a large nonreactive pot.
Add the sugar, vinegar, black pepper, coriander, salt, mustard powder, apples, pears, onions, bay leaf, and clove to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1½–2 hours. Set aside to cool, then remove and discard the bay leaf and clove. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, leftover fruit ketchup will keep for up to a week.