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 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.

Try this recipe.  It's far more delicious and flavorful that store bought ketchup and contains "real" ingredients.  It provides probiotics as well because it is fermented.  

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

    2 cups tomato paste (preferably homemade)
    1/4 cup raw honey (maple syrup or whole 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

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 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.

Buon appetit!!