Ketchup - Oh! To Have Sweet Ketchup Again (C1)

Simmie Sinow

Have you tried making your own ketchup?  How has it gone, using recipes you find out on the internet?

Are the results coming up short in replicating the sweetness that you're used to in ketchup from the store, like Hunts Ketchup or Dole Ketchup?

Me too!!!

Would you like something like this?

This morning, I decided I was going to figure out why all the ketchup recipes that I've tried all come out on the tart side instead of the sweet side, and to come up with something workable. It only took me throwing out one batch to land on what satisfies my ketchup craving!

Don't get me wrong, there are some great BBQ and Ketchup recipes on sites just about everywhere, but they left me wanting that sweetness.

I discovered that the tomato paste was what made the ketchups and BBQ sauce recipes tart.  That was like manna from heaven, knowing that.  With that, I proceeded to look at other recipes I have where I've added sweetness, like the No-Nightshade Ketchup from the He Won't Know It's Paleo website. By the way, that stuff rocks big time -- it's really good, but more of a thick and very sweet sauce than it is ketchup. Good enough even to take a spoon and eat it out of the jar.

Keeping in mind that Pumpkin adds sweetness, I decided to head in that direction. Previously, I'd made ketchup and BBQ sauce and used applesauce for sweetening and that did not work. Then another time, I tried a little bit of coconut aminos (since they are more sweet than salty) and that didn't do anything. Oh and yeah, honey was one of my experiments too -- BZZZZTTT!

So the following is what I came up with.  Let me mention that this makes a lot of ketchup -- 1 quart. Also, make sure to use Vegetable Stock and not beef or chicken, as the vegetable stock is the lowest in salt and will not turn your recipe upside down.

15 oz can Tomato Sauce
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock (see note below on this)
15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
1 small onion diced small OR 1/2 Tbsp Onion Powder
3 crushed Garlic Cloves OR 1 tsp Garlic Powder/Granulated Garlic

If you want it a little on the smoky side as well: 1/2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and whisk well, until all ingredients are well combined.

NOTES:
Cooking? If you use the powder for the onion and garlic, there is no need to cook on the stovetop. If you use chopped onion and smashed garlic, you'll want to simmer for about 20 minutes, then throw in your blender and blend until smooth.

Vegetable Stock? I started with 3/4 cup vegetable stock and kept adding, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture was the thickness I desired. I wound up using 1 1/2 cups .

Is This Really Cycle 1? Yes, it is.  While it does have pumpkin puree in it, unless you're using a half cup of this, the amount you'd use on, say, a burger, you'd get so little pumpkin puree that it wouldn't even be measurable. So this is fine to use in small amounts for C1. If you're using 1/3 cup or more in a recipe, then I'd hold off and use that in C2 or C3.

All in all, it came out great! And made a lot!

While I'm not absolutely sure on the "ewww it's gone bad" date, I do know that it will keep fresh and usable for about 2-3 weeks.