Fermented Ketchup

Most of what I’ve learned about ketchup is from Sally Fallon in Nourishing Traditions. As she points out, ketchup has historically been a term for a fish sauce added to foods for flavor. Various cultures added available ingredients to it to make sauces with unique flavor profiles. Tomato ketchup was created by Americans by adding tomatoes from their neighbors in Mexico. 

Store Bought ketchup, while reminiscent of the traditional flavor, is an unhealthy food choice due to the added sugar. Traditional ketchup, such as this recipe based on Nourishing Traditions, is a live food, and thus healthy and beneficial to your body.

I’ve heard that some parents add this ketchup to empty store bought ketchup bottles because their kids will eat anything from the bottles. Try it if you’re worried about your kids enjoying this version of ketchup!

This ketchup can be used in any way that modern ketchup is used! Add it to our burgers, dip fries in, or top scrambled eggs if that suits your fancy. It is also one of the two homemade sauces in this BBQ sauce recipe. 

You could also choose to make your own fish sauce. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has a great recipe for how to make it at home. For this recipe I chose not to.

As some of you may also know, my current favorite form of ketchup is another traditional recipe of mushroom ketchup. It’s tomato free so it’s great for anyone with nightshade intolerance. 

I’m unsure exactly how long this will keep in the fridge. However, similar ferments are fine for 1-3 months. If there’s any obvious mold or any putrefied (vomit like) smells, it’s probably time to make a new batch!

Ingredients for Fermented Ketchup:

Makes one pint of ketchup

  • 1 ½ cups of  tomato paste, ideally glass canned and organic

  • ⅛ cup whey

  • 1 ½ tsp salt

  • ¼ cup maple syrup

  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed

  • ½ cup fish sauce

Directions for Fermented Ketchup:

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Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Add to a mason jar with a lid tightly closed. Allow to ferment at room temperature for two days.

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Be sure to give some head space, at least an inch at the top of the jar.

After two days, move the ketchup to the fridge. 

Enjoy!