There's nothing in this world more frustrating than getting ready to chow down on a giant plate of fries only to find yourself completely unable to get the ketchup out of a glass bottle.
At the end of this epic wrestling match between you and the ketchup bottle, you're left with cold fries and somehow even less ketchup than you had before.
That classic Heinz glass ketchup bottle is iconic, but man it is hard to use!
I can't even count how many times my meal has gotten cold while trying to scrape ketchup out of the bottle with my fork.
Did you know there's a secret trick to loosening up the ketchup in a glass bottle? Precious few actually know this secret!
My grandpa taught me this trick a little while back, and ever since then, my days have been smooth sailing.
When I saw this resurface on the internet, I just had to pass on the secret of the "57 trick"!
Do you know the 57 trick?!
Thumb Credit: Youtube / Roger Dilly
The History Of Ketchup
According to National Geographic's The Plate, ketchup is a fermented fish sauce that was probably initially brought to Southern China by way of Vietnam.
In 1732, Richard Bradley published a recipe for "ketchup in paste." This early iteration was supposed to have been brought to Britain via trade routes in the Indies.
This early form of ketchup was much different from what we have come to know and love today. Early ketchup was thin and soupy because no one had yet thought to add tomatoes to it.
In 1812, the scientist James Mease added tomatoes to the recipe, but it was still a little ways off from becoming the modern day condiment.
After tomatoes were added to the mix, ketchup lovers suffered from another big obstacle: spoilage. Tomatoes don't keep well, so ketchup of the early 1800s often grew bacteria and mold.
To combat this, early ketchup lovers overcompensated by loading up their ketchup with harmful preservatives, which were also making people sick.
One man was particularly upset by the use of chemical preservatives in ketchup. His name was Harvey Washington Wiley, and in the 1870s he teamed up with a Pittsburgh man named Henry Heinz to come up with a new recipe.
Heinz added riper tomatoes to the recipe, and he also added vinegar to help with the preservation problem. Just like that, modern day ketchup was born!
The Infamous 57 Trick
Still, delicious and beloved as ketchup is, people have always struggled to get it out of the glass bottle.
Most of us heavily hammer on the bottom of the bottle to try to get the sauce out.
It turns out, there's an easier way.
Ever notice that nifty little raised numbering on the classic Heinz ketchup? Yeah, me neither. At least I hadn't before someone taught me the famous 57 trick.
The 57 Trick Performed
Heinz even notes the trick on the FAQ section of their website, writing:
Q: What’s the best way to get Heinz® Ketchup out of the iconic glass bottle?
A: To release Ketchup faster from the glass bottle, apply a firm tap to the sweet spot on the neck of the bottle — the "57." Very few people know this secret. Now you’re “in-the-know.”
The trick is simple. It's performed in just a few easy steps, and once you learn it, you'll never go back to your old fork-fishing ways!
Step #1
YouTuber Roger Dilly shows off the trick in an online video.
The first step is to tip the bottle upside down.
Don't flip the bottle all the way upside down. Rather, hold the bottle at about a 45-degree angle, with the nozzle of the bottle pointing down at your plate.
Step #2
After you have the bottle in position, locate the raised 57 marking on the side of the bottle. Then, firmly tap that spot on the bottle until the ketchup starts flowing freely — voilà! You now know the 57 trick!
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