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Have We Been Squeezing Our Ketchup Bottle Wrong?

Author Bob Bronson
AUSTIN, TEXAS - AUGUST 02: Heinz ketchup is displayed on shelves at a Walmart Supercenter on August 02, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Kraft Heinz revenue beat second-quarter earnings, but fell short of analysts expectations. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Every family has at least one bottle of ketchup in the house and maybe more. Heck, some of us keep ketchup packets from fast food restaurants as back up in case we run out of the bottled stuff.

We use ketchup on so much of our foods that it’s hard to believe that it’s only been a staple for since the late 1900’s. Back then there was something called ketchup that was used to cover the taste of meat that had either gone bad or was on the verge of it.

That was until Mr. Henry John Heinz came up with a much better version of what was known as ketchup.

According to the lore here is the origin story of Heinz ketchup:

The company was founded some 125 years ago by Henry John Heinz, the son of a German immigrant. It has been selling ketchup since 1876. Legend has it that Henry John Heinz invented ketchup by adapting a Chinese recipe for so-called Cat Sup, a thick sauce made from tomatoes, special seasoning and starch.

Food engineer Werner Stoll of the Heinz company is positive: “H.J. Heinz invented ketchup. That’s for sure. The concept of ketchup began here in Pittsburgh. It didn’t exist before that.”

The extraordinary story of Heinz ketchup began with 25-year old H.J. Heinz experimenting in the kitchen of his German mother. He decided to market his mother’s grated horseradish and bottled this product in clear glass jars to show its purity. Heinz’ horseradish soon became a success.

A guy who posts life hacks on TikTok is going viral again after claiming we’ve all been squeezing ketchup bottles wrong. 

Squeeze the sides instead of the front and back, and when you let go the air pressure will squeeze it out for you.

He says it only works when the bottle is full though.  So is it really a “hack”?

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Bob is a native New Englander, growing up (sorta) in Maine where his love for radio started at a young age. While in high school he hosted radio shows on a local radio station, and he has never looked back. Bob joined the US Navy and served onboard the Sixth Fleet Flagship as a radio and TV host. After serving for 3 years, it was off to Emerson College in Boston. Bob hosted shows in Boston on WMEX, WVBF and WSSH in the 80’s and 90’s before heading to radio stations in Raleigh, NC, Manchester, NH, and New York City. Bob has been married for almost 25 years to Carolyn, a Woburn gal and they have 3 daughters, Nicole, Taylor, and Bridget. Bob and Carolyn are proud first-time grandparents to baby Caroline, who they plan to spoil every chance they get! “I started my career in New England and could not be happier to come back to Boston where I can root for all the Boston sports teams and eat lots of lobster rolls and clam chowder (okay not lots)… It is an honor to host the WROR morning show with LBF and wake up the World’s Greatest City!” Bob writes about recipes and restaurants, pop culture and trending topics.

The 5 Best Hamburgers in Massachusetts

When you want a good burger, you want a good burger. And depending on the 5 people you ask, you’ll probably get 5 different answers telling you where to go for the best one. So Taste of Massachusetts decided to ask 5,000 people to get a better gauge on the burger best of the best in Massachusetts.

Who has your favorite burger? I feel like that’s a tough question. It’s like picking a favorite child! Some days I want that really good char-grilled flavor. Sometimes I want a thick steak burger and sometimes I want a burger which has been flattened on the flat top like a crepe. And sometimes your favorite fast food burger just hits right and does the job like no other can do.

Taste of Massachusetts surveyed 5,000 Massachusetts residents and asked them where there favorite burger is. During the nomination stages, over 1,000 restaurants were nominated for having the best burger in the state. Throughout 16 grueling rounds of voting, the field was whittled down to the 16 best burgers in the state. We’ll run through the Top 5 below and end with a link to the entire list and survey results.

A lot of this just comes down to personal preference. Toppings play a role. Desired cooking level does too – a medium rare burger and a well-done burger almost taste like two totally different categories of food, it’s tough to compare. Seasonings, buns, burger meat make up and freshness – it all plays a part in the end product and, in turn, your enjoyment of that burger hugged between your hands.

After 5,000 burger-loving Bay State residents cast their meaty votes, these are the 5 Best Hamburgers in Massachusetts. I have bookmarked this article so I can knock them down one-by-one like a culinary hitman.

If you’re more of a fast food burger lover, this list will interest you: Which fast food restaurants have the most locations in Massachusetts?

  • #5. KKatie’s Burger Bar - Plymouth/Hyannis/Marshfield/Plympton/West Bridgewater

    KKatie’s has been a staple on the South Shore for years. People love their quality, freshness, and speed. I’ve personally had their horseradish peppercorn burger – delish.

  • #4. Fix Burger Bar - Worcester/Leominster/Marlboro

    Fix Burger Bar has the largest add-on section for your burger that I’ve ever seen! You can top your burger with any combination of their THIRTY-SIX burger toppings. It would take me 4 hours just decide what combo to get! (I’m very bad with decisions.)

  • #3. Boston Burger Company - Multiple Locations

    Boston Burger Bar has been around since 2009. Back then, 3 friends came together and said, “Boston needs better burgers.” So they made them. 15 years later, they’re still one of the best around.

  • #2. Tessie’s Bar & Kitchen - Waltham/Walpole

    Not only does Tessie’s serve up one of the very best burgers in Mass, they also want to preserve history as they build new. Tessie’s is committed to the revitalization of business districts of small towns often using old materials repurposed in the building of their restaurants. They’re gorgeous, just like their mouth-watering burgers!

  • #1. Lewis’ Bar and Grill - Norwood

    Lewis’ has HISTORY. They’ve been operating since way back in 1939. They’re goal is to serve good food to good neighbors and those neighbors (and extended neighbors who have been traveling here for years) have been loving their burgers for generations. I’ve never tasted one of their burgers but you can bet you’ll see me there this weekend!

  • Get the complete list and survey results...

    See everything thanks to Taste of Massachusetts OVER HERE! Also, R. F. O’Sullivan’s in Lynn was listed as the #3 best burger by Taste of Mass but the restaurant has since closed. So I just bumped it and moved everyone below it up one to adjust.

    Burger in hand

     

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