After months of tweaking the ingredients, I am pleased to present the first Holistic Squid recipe. It is pretty darn delicious, and not only rivals but improves upon the American classic by using maple syrup as a mineral rich, natural sweetener and fresh whey to culture it into a probiotic-rich food rather than a sugary condiment devoid of nutrients. Best of all, my skeptical four-year-old loves it, and has declared it “perfect”! (My husband says the very nature of the word “perfect” makes it not so, hence the “practically” thrown in there for good measure.)
This recipe makes a quart sized jar plus about another 6 ounces, so you can use the extras right away while you wait for the quart to ferment.
Ready to learn how to make homemade ketchup? Good! You'll be glad you did…
Cultured ketchup ingredients
- 4 – 7 oz jars of Bionaturae Organic Tomato Paste (You can use 4 – 6 oz cans plus 1/2 cup of water if you wish, but the flavor of Bionaturae really makes a difference, plus the jars are BPA free)
- 1/4 cup fresh whey (Never dried. You can easily make your own by straining yogurt through a cheese cloth)
- 1/2 cup grade B maple syrup (richer in minerals than grade A)
- 1/2 cup Red Boat fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and mashed
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- a sprinkle of cayenne pepper
How to make homemade ketchup
- Mix all ingredients until well blended.
- Place in a glass, quart-sized mason jar with a wide mouth for easy access later. The top of the ketchup should be about 1 inch below the rim of the jar.
- Leave at room temperature for 2-3 days (depending on how warm your kitchen is), then transfer to the fridge and enjoy!
This turned out GREAT! I disagree with your husband…it is indeed perfect!
Just made this. Can’t wait to try it! The overflow from my quart jar is delicious!
Ran into your husband this morning. We were discussing this recipe and he said, “It is so good it’s almost like it isn’t even ketchup. It totally transforms the egg-eating experience.” Okay, so maybe not a verbatim quote…but that’s pretty close. I have to agree with him. My son will see this in the fridge and ask to eat it, plain and straight out of his bowl!
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Oh, and what if you don’t have fish sauce?
Hi there 🙂 Just wondering how long this keeps for and if not that long can it freeze? sounds amazing!
Hi Sarah – it doesn’t last long at my house, but it should keep for a month or so. You could certainly freeze it too, though it would lose the benefits of the culture.
1. I don’t have any mason jars. Can I just use a glass container with plastic lid?
2. I subbed sauerkraut juice – thank you for that suggestion
3. It was a lot heavy on the allspice for my taste right out of the bowl. How will that change as it ferments?
Wow you’re not kidding! This really is almost perfect. In fact I like it better than processed ketchup…. and ketchup was one of the last processed foods I did away with…
Any suggestion what I can use instead of fish sauce (yuck)?
Hi Christian, good question. You might be able to substitute a mixture of Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice. Let us know how it turns out if you try it.
Would my ginger bug work as a culture starter for this ketchup?
Hi Sonia – Yes, it will work. 🙂 You could also use sauerkraut juice in place of the whey.
I’ve made ketchup before but i’ve never cultured it.
Though To make this I am making my own Tomato paste with Fresh Tomatoes. So instead of a three day wait. It will be closer to a work week. The paste will take close to 12 hours to reduce then a overnight sit to get it completely cooled and perfect.
Can you replace the whey with a non-dairy product? We’re allergic to dairy over here but really want to make this. 🙂
Hi Stephanie, thanks for your question. Yes, you can sub the whey with sauerkraut juice. Hope that helps!
Emily, I’ve just come aboard, and I’m feeling enlightened. Will try your recipe for Homemade Ketchup–as precisely as possible–as soon as I find some whey; I already have the fish sauce! Locating the Bionaturae brand tomato paste may be more of a challenge here in the Arctic. I’m wondering, what do you estimate your cost is for one batch (which roughly equates to two 20-oz Heinz bottles)? Thank you.
Does this taste similar to ketchup? My 4 year demands ketchup even on a sandwich and quesadilla. Weird, I know. It has to pass his approval. Does the fish sauce make it fishy? And will using sauerkraut juice ruin the flavor (dairy intolerant)? Thanks!
Hi Kristine, my kids love this alternative to ketchup! It doesn’t make it fishy at all but then I love fish sauce 😉 And sauerkraut juice shouldn’t change the flavor at all. Good luck and let us know how it turns out! xoxo Emily
Hi, just wondering if you cover the jar of ketchup in step 3 or leave it uncovered at room temperature for the few days before refrigeration? Also, how do you know when it is ready or “cultured”? Thanks!
Hi Katie, it’s always best to cover your ferment so that bugs and other things can’t get into your jar. You’ll taste a slight tang but it shouldn’t take longer than 3 days out of the refrigerator to get it to the right stage of fermentation. I hope that helps! xoxo Emily