Homemade Lacto-Fermented Ketchup

As most of you may know by now, just about everything on supermarket shelves have some form of high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives.  These ingredients are all GMO and we need to avoid them to maintain good health.

Ketchup is no different.  Most ketchup on the market has high fructose corn syrup listed as an ingredient and the corn it is derived from is Genetically Modified.  

To break away from this and to provide foods and condiments for your family that are free of these GMO ingredients I am offering recipes to make your own condiments.  

I've obtained this recipe from Nourishing Traditions cookbook by Sally Fallon Morell.

I highly recommend this cookbook as it contains a plethora of recipes and useful information.

Lacto-Fermented Ketchup is far more delicious and flavorful than store bought ketchup and contains "real" ingredients.  

It provides probiotics, which are crucial for gut health as well.  

Lacto-Fermented Ketchup

Ingredients:

    2 cups tomato paste (preferably homemade)
    1/4 cup raw honey (pure maple syrup or whole organic unrefined cane sugar)
    1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp fresh whey (or vegetable starter culture)* (divided)
    2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (plus extra for thinning the ketchup, if desired)
    1 tsp unrefined sea salt
    1 tsp allspice
    1/2 tsp ground cloves

*For whey, you can use left over whey after you make yogurt.  Please check out my post on culturing your own yogurt.  Or, you can spoon out the whey from plain store-bought yogurt and save it.  Having a supply of whey on hand is essential for preparing many lacto-fermented probiotic rich foods.  No worries about storage, as it will keep in the refrigerator for 6 months.  

Even longer in the freezer.

If you are vegan or dairy free, then use the vegetable starter culture.

Also, please do not worry about the use of syrup and/or sugar in this recipe.  It is needed to feed the beneficial bacteria during the fermentation process.  The fermentation process will consume the sugar.  

Instructions:

Spoon tomato paste into a large mixing bowl and fold in raw honey or other natural sweetener of choice.

Whisk in one-quarter cup fresh whey or vegetable starter culture into the sweetened tomato paste along with apple cider vinegar, sea salt, allspice and cloves.

Continue whisking these ingredients together until the paste is smooth and uniform.

Spoon the homemade ketchup into a mason jar, top with remaining two tablespoons fresh whey or vegetable starter culture, cover loosely with a cloth or lid and allow the gases to escape.

Allow the ketchup to sit at room temperature, undisturbed, for three to five days.

After three to five days, uncover the homemade ketchup and give it a thorough stir before transferring to the refrigerator. 

Naturally fermented homemade ketchup will keep for several months in the refrigerator.

Bon Appetit!!

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