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Easy Homemade Ketchup

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Homemade Ketchup

We always have a bottle of ketchup in our fridge to use with burgers and fries – my husband even puts ketchup on his eggs. But I’ve never felt comfortable with the ingredients in the stuff you buy from the store, even after they removed the high fructose corn syrup. I don’t know why but homemade ketchup always seemed so elusive to me, and I always thought it was some big deal. Turns out, it’s one of the easiest homemade condiments you could ever make!

Not only is homemade ketchup easy, you also get to control exactly what (and how much) goes into it. All you need is some tomato paste, honey or maple syrup, vinegar, water, and some spices. I’ve seen recipes that simmer the ingredients together on the stovetop, but I’ve made several batches without cooking it at all and it turns out perfectly fine.

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Make sure you’re using tomato paste in BPA-free cans, or even better if you can find them – in glass jars. I get mine in glass jars from our local Middle-Eastern grocery, but I’ve also seen them online at Amazon and Tropical Traditions.

For the sweetener, you can use either pure honey or maple syrup. Personally, I like the honey better – the maple syrup imparts a stronger flavor. I also like to keep the spices very basic because I tend to be a purist when it comes to these things, but you could really go crazy with different spice combinations to make some exotic flavors!

Homemade Ketchup

Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, it literally takes just a few minutes to whisk everything up until you’ve got that thick ketchup consistency. It’s best if you leave it in the fridge overnight (or at least a few hours) to help the flavors meld together, but we’ve used it immediately in a bind and it was alright.

Some ideas for different spices you can experiment with include: mustard powder, allspice, ground cloves, cinnamon, chili powder, celery salt, etc.

What are your family’s favorite ways to use ketchup?

Easy Homemade Ketchup

An easy homemade ketchup recipe without refined sugars or preservatives.

  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup pure honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
  1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
  2. Mix well with a whisk until smooth.
  3. Store in glass jar in the fridge overnight to help the flavors meld together.
  4. Use like regular ketchup.
  5. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month – if it lasts that long! 🙂

You could also just throw everything into a food processor or blender and blend it up until smooth.

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  17. I make ketchup, too. I use the same recipe but double it because it goes so fast. I use the kombucha bottles ( a probotic drink you can find in the health foods area in your store) for our ketchup. I make a label and always get raves about the taste. I use the same type of bottles for homemade ranch and bbq sauce. Infact, I use the ketchup recipe and add to make bbq sauce that has been taste tested by my children.

    Reply

  18. I make ketchup, too. I use the same recipe but double it because it goes so fast. I use the kombucha bottles ( a probotic drink you can find in the health foods area in your store) for our ketchup. I make a label and always get raves about the taste. I use the same type of bottles for homemade ranch and bbq sauce. Infact, I use the ketchup recipe and add to make bbq sauce that has been taste tested by my children.

    Reply

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