Pour Your Ketchup Right

Where would the world be without ketchup? Essentially, all it contains is tomatoes, salt, vinegar, and a few spices, yet it’s something many people use every day. It works well as a dipping sauce for French fries or chicken nuggets and tastes great as a condiment on hot dogs and hamburgers. It even works as a background flavor in other foods like barbeque sauce and meatloaf.

The frustrating thing is when the ketchup gets stuck in the bottle. Some companies hoped to fix that by switching to plastic squeeze bottles, but restaurants and many shoppers still reach for the old fashioned glass bottles. Before ripping out your hair or tossing the bottle against the wall, try some simple tips to pour that ketchup and get it out of the bottle faster.

Ketchup is what some scientists refer to as a pseudo-plastic, or thixotropic, which means it’s a liquid that takes on a more solid form when poured. The ketchup looks liquefied inside the bottle, but once it’s poured onto a plate or food, it bonds together. This concept makes it hard for the ketchup to pour smoothly and quickly from a bottle. The best way to get the ketchup out is to aggravate the molecules, which causes the ketchup to flow.

For years caterers have used a special technique. They tilt the bottle to one side and quickly tap their middle and index fingers along the neck of the ketchup bottle. This disrupts the molecules and also forces the ketchup past the air bubble at the top of the bottle. Another tip is to hold the bottle on its side and hit the bottom as hard as possible. Some also try shaking or rolling the bottle in their hand.

There are other tips on pouring ketchup. Heinz ketchup, for example, has a 57 logo on the bottle. Pressure applied to this area such as a hit or tap will cause the ketchup to pour quickly from the bottle. Another tip is to simply turn the bottle on an angle, and hold it in that position until the ketchup slowly moves towards the bottom of the bottle. When the lid is removed, the ketchup will continue to follow this downward path of momentum.

Of course, some people want their ketchup right away without any tricks or waiting. The easiest way to do this is to remove the lid and stick a butter knife down the neck of the bottle, while holding the bottle on its side. Move the knife around in small circles and then pull it out. This will cause the ketchup to quickly and effortlessly flow from the bottle.