Homemade Ketchup

Fermented Ketchup

Prep time

Fermented condiments like ketchup provide another way to take in your good bacteria, while at the same time eliminating another High-Fructose Corn Syrup-laden food from your diet.

10 hours

Fermentation time

3-4 days

Yield: 2 pints

Ingredients

10 lbs. fresh Tomatoes

½ cup raw honey

½ cup + ¼ cup liquid whey, divided

2 oz. raw apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon cloves, ground

2 teaspoons allspice, ground

Instructions

Make Paste (from scratch)

Wash and remove stems from tomatoes.

Make an “X” shaped slit in the skin of the tomatoes at the stem end.

Boil water in a medium to large stockpot.

A few at a time, drop the tomatoes in for 30-40 seconds. Fish out with a spider or slotted spoon.

Immediately put them in a bowl filled with ice water. Then pinch the tomatoes from the non-slit end. The skins will pop off. Set aside in another bowl. Compost or discard skins.

Cut tomatoes open and squeeze out gel and seeds. (Reserve for another use).

Puree drained tomato flesh in a food processor until mostly smooth (a few lumps is okay).

Pour contents into a slow cooker, and cook for 8-10 hours on low heat, stirring occasionally. During this time, most of the juice should evaporate off, and it will take on a darker color. It won’t be as thick as canned tomato paste. You can cook longer if you want a thicker paste.

Let paste cool.

Mix ingredients

Add paste to a mixing bowl, along with honey. Stir until smooth.

Add vinegar, ½ cup of whey and salt.

Grind cloves and allspice and add to bowl.

Fermentation

Transfer to a quart mason jar or several pint jars (if sharing). Cover with lid (but not ring) and let sit at room temperature for 4 days. After about 3 days, the liquid part of the whey evaporates, leaving the whey powder on top.

Stir contents, then secure lid and put in refrigerator. Lasts 6 months