Making your own Sugar Free Ketchup is super-easy. This recipe is delicious, healthy and tastes surprisingly sweet. Move over, Heinz!
Darling, would you like a spoonful of sugar with your chips?
Yes, seriously.
Shop-bought ketchup. Friends, most varieties have one teaspoon of sugar per serving! And do you ever eat your burger with just one serving of ketchup? On goes another dollop half way through, then one more on the plate for the chips. Once you’re at it…
The solution is simple: At home, just make it yourself. My Sugar Free Ketchup recipe is dead easy and tastes much better than your old Heinz. As tomatoes already have lots of natural sugar in them, home-made ketchup tastes sweet without having to add anything other than spices.
All truly great restaurants make their own ketchup, by the way. They don’t just fill it into a pretty jar. You know that moment when you take the first bite and think, wow, that tastes kind of different, special, amazing, actually? The tell-tale sign of home-made ketchup.
Ready for some ketchup facts?
- The first recorded ke-tchup recipe was from China in 544 A.D. It called for the bladder, stomach and intestines of a yellow fish, shark and mullet to be mixed in a jar with plenty of salt and put out into the sun for 20 days.
- By the time British settlers in Fuji discovered ketchup, the recipe had been simplified into a pungent liquid made out of salted and fermented anchovies. Basically, it was fish sauce.
- Early versions of western ketchup were made out of shallots, oysters, walnuts (Jane Austen’s favourite) or even mushrooms, famously found in Beeton’s Book of Household Management that first reached the open public in 1861. The recipe requires mushrooms, salt, pepper, allspice and brandy.
- The first known written recipe for ketchup involving tomatoes was created by the horticulturist James Mease of Philadelphia in 1812. He called tomatoes “love apples”.
- Because of its acidity, ketchup can be used to actually polish metal or silverware.
I could go on, I’m sure you know that.
Let me just add this: All it takes to make your very own Sugar Free Ketchup is a tin of tomatoes, a few spices that you can play around with and adjust and an alarm set to 30 minutes so you know when to take the pot off the stove. There you go. The best things are so simple!
Sugar Free Ketchup
Ingredients
- 400 g tin good quality chopped tomatoes or passata just tomatoes!
- 3 tbsp vinegar I used red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove mashed
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 pinch ground allspice
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.
- Stir frequently until sauce thickens.
- If necessary, blend with a stick blender until smooth
- Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for circa 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
You can use fresh tomatoes for this recipe if you wish. It adds a little extra work, but would taste great if you use a sweet variety of tomatoes. The ones one the vine are normally quite good. Make sure you blanch them (pour boiling water over them) and remove the skins plus the hard green bit at the top. Then cube them and proceed with the recipe as above.
Alyssa Balch says
Best way to store this and how long does this keep in the fridge?
Katrin says
I use a glass jar with a lid and keep it in the fridge. As it does not contain preservatives, I’d say you can keep it for a week, provided you use a clean spoon to scoop it out. I’m sure you could freeze it too if you wanted to make a larger amount.
Lianne says
Great recipe – thank you. I have been looking for a UK recipe without sugar (and also without any artificial sweeteners) and stumbled on your blog. Made it yesterday for my boys who are all ketchup addicts and they loved it!
Katrin says
That’s great! It’s one of those staples I love. It’s easy to adapt it as well and keep it interesting by adding different spices
Tabitha says
So I don’t have Dijon mustard at the moment and unfortunately can’t get it at the moment. Do you perhaps have any tips for making this without the Dijon?
Katrin says
If you have powdered mustard, you could use that instead. Otherwise, just make it without mustard. I’m sure it will still be nice.
Dan Allen says
I’ve made a very similar recipe but instead of mustard used chilli powder and paprika.
1/2 tsp of chilli and 1tbsp smoked paprika will add piquancy to these numbers.
Dan Allen says
Also, push it through a sieve and it will come out looking like (and having the ‘mouth feel’ of ) shop bought ketchups if you want that.
Katrin says
What a great tip! Thanks for sharing this here. I’ll definitely do this next time I make it.
Ella says
How long will this keep and where should it be stored?
Katrin says
I store mine in an airtight container in the fridge. 1 week is fine – mine has never lasted longer
Claire says
I am trying to get my children off eh sweet supermarket ketchup and this recipe looked great. I added half a grated Apple to up the sweetness to a little more like what they are used to and its delicious!! Trying with in them with chips tomorrow
Katrin says
That sounds like great idea! Thank you for sharing
Seren says
I wanted to make fermented ketchup with whey as its healthier and lasts longer. All the recipes I found online had loads of sugar in or honey (which is sugar). Do you think I could add whey to this recipe? I might try it anyway! If anyone knows if you can, please let me know – I’m new to fermentation 🙂
Katrin says
Hi Seren, the only fermented food I’ve ever made is sauerkraut, so I cannot be of much help. I’d say just give it a try with the whey and see how you get on!
Linda says
I’m new at this, so need a little more direction, if you’d be so kind. Do you prep the tomatoes at all? Cut into pieces or just put in the pot whole? Wouldn’t there be tomato skins in the mixture once they cook down? Could you cook the tomatoes first, strain them (to remove the skins), then put in the pot with the other ingredients to simmer/cook down?
I’m anxious to try this, and appreciate any help.
Katrin says
If you want to use fresh tomatoes, I would blanch them (pour boiling water over them) and remove the skins and the little green bit at the top, then cube them, add the spices and cook down until the mixture thickens. You might have to blend the sauce at the end to get a smooth consistency. Using fresh tomatoes would be great, just make sure you use a variety that is tasty and sweet. The ones on the vine usually work well. The cheap salad tomatoes sometimes taste of nothing!
I actually used tinned chopped tomatoes. They just kind of cooked themselves into a sauce.
Thank you for your comment though, I will go back into the recipe instructions and make them more specific.
Trudie Cruz says
How much is 800 grams in ounces? I like to use fresh ingredients so about how mant ripe tomatoes would that be? Thank you
Katrin says
Hi Trudie, 400 grams is 14 ounces, 800 would be 28 ounces.
Megha says
Ketchup is my favorite condiment, but I haven’t been able to use it lately – this is the best find of the day! Thank you Katrin!
Katrin says
We love it, and it’s easy to make. Great you like it!
//Katz says
Just made it and it tastes awesome!