Simple Homemade Ketchup Recipe

Out of all the condiments out there in the world, ketchup has to be the number 1 American favorite. Not only can you find it everywhere, but it goes with so many things, kids like it, and it's inexpensive. Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn, brings us this recipe for homemade ketchup and says, "Making sauces and condiments by hand gives you fancy restaurant vibes, and takes your meal up a notch on the flavor scale. The other thing I really love about making homemade ketchup is you can control the sugar. For those on a sugar-restricted diet, this can open up a whole new world. Even if you omit the sugar in this recipe, you still get all of the flavor from the spices, tomato paste, and tangy vinegar." Hahn likes to make a batch, separate it into small glass jars, and store in the freezer. "They will last for 2 months in the freezer, and you can just pull one out, and let it thaw as needed."

The base of this recipe is tomato paste. "Since tomatoes are consistently on the dirty dozen list, I always buy organic tomato paste, which is easy to find at most grocery stores," Hahn shares. Then, you will need some vinegar for the tangy element. You can use apple cider vinegar, which gives you the added fermentation benefits, or white vinegar. Then you'll need some pantry basics: sugar, celery seed, garlic powder, mustard powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Hahn mentions if you have celery salt instead of celery seed, you can use that, and omit the added salt.

In a medium bowl, mix together the tomato paste and the vinegar, until it is smooth. If it is too thick, just add some water, 1 tablespoon at a time to get to your desired consistency. Add the sugar, celery seed, garlic powder, mustard powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

Stir it up, and you've got yourself some homemade ketchup! The recipe makes about 2 cups, so you can serve up what you need, and store the rest in the fridge or freezer. Serve your ketchup with fries, onion rings, burgers, meatloaf, or anything that could use a flavor pick-me-up.