A few weeks back I did a DIY mustard post, so I thought it was only fair that I did a ketchup one too.

Ketchup is probably one of the most used condiments.  Kids put it on everything, fries seem naked without it, and congress keeps trying to tell us that it counts as a vegetable.  While that last one might take some extra convincing, there is no doubt that we love our tomato based condiment.  And one of the big reasons why?

Sugar

Almost all store bought ketchup has some form of sugar, whether it’s high fructose corn syrup or organic sugar.  Sugar is sugar no matter what and store bought usually has a lot of it.  But the one good thing I did notice about ketchup is that it doesn’t have a lot of other ingredients which make it an excellent candidate for making it yourself.

I’m betting that you already have all the ingredients you need to make your own ketchup and once you see how easy, and cheap, it is to make it yourself I’m pretty sure that you will be whipping it up all the time.

The other good thing about making your own ketchup is that you can make it to your taste and jazz it up with different spices.  Get adventurous and make your own flavor combos for your ketchup!

DIY Ketchup

• 1, 6 oz can of tomato paste (pick a brand that has nothing but tomatoes in it.  I used Contadina)
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water (more if you want a thinner consistency)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp salt

1. Combine all the ingredients into a medium saucepan and whisk until smooth.  Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
2. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring often
3. Remove from heat and allow the ketchup to cool completely before storing in a jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge.

Variations:

Curry Ketchup: Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder

Spicy Ketchup: Add 1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper

Fiesta Ketchup: Add in 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, and a squeeze of lime juice