By the age of 12 John Heinz was peddling produce from his family's garden in post-Civil War Pittsburgh. By age 25, he and a friend launched Heinz & Noble to sell bottled horseradish in clear glass bottles that revealed its purity. Henry's pickling empire grew as he added jams, jellies, and condiments to the line, including ketchup, which was added in 1876. You'll still see the famous Heinz pickle logo on every product, and if you want a quick tip on how to get the thick stuff out of the bottle easily, don't pound on the backside like a maniac. Instead, Heinz recommends a good smack to the embossed "57" found on the neck of every bottle. 

Today, Heinz is the world's largest tomato processor, with the famous ketchup bottles sitting on a shelf somewhere in over half of U.S. households. But if one day you find your house is all out, you can use my Heinz ketchup recipe below with a few common ingredients and get a whole 12-ounce bottle worth of thick, tasty ketchup.

If you're looking to avoid high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar, check out my clone for Real Ketchup here.

Source: Even More Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur.