Homemade Fermented Ketchup: Recipe and Tips!

Mike enjoys my fermented salsa, but no matter how much I like sauerkraut, it isn’t his favorite. I wanted to try another way to bring fermented foods into our meals and decided to try homemade fermented ketchup. I made it one evening, let it ferment for two days, and then gave it to Mike to taste test. It passed!

Cooking From Scratch

Our grocery budget is $135 per person each month. We are also an allergy family, so I pay close attention to ingredients. Making items from scratch allows me to know exactly what goes into it and oftentimes items are cheaper this way.

Along with ketchup, I also make my own garden marinara to use throughout the year. I also make most of our salad dressings and you can find a collection of those recipes in this blog post. I keep a well stocked pantry which means that when I come across a recipe that I want to try, usually I will have everything that I need for it.

Making Fermented Ketchup

Every couple of years, I usually make a large batch of ketchup as a canning project. This fall, we were down to our last jar, and my shoulder injury meant I wasn’t taking on big canning projects.

Making a small batch using canned tomato paste was something I could manage with my injury. I have tomatoes in my freezer so they will last until I am healthy enough to be able to do a large canning project.

I followed a recipe from Lisa Bass at Farmhouse on Boone. You can visit her original post for the complete ingredient list and directions: Get Lisa’s original fermented ketchup recipe.

Recipe Variations

One thing to notice about the recipe is that the recipe calls for 13 ounces of tomato paste. Usually it comes in a standard 6-ounce cans, so 12 ounces might be sufficient. If you watch my recipe video, I was following the original recipe’s 13-ounce amount.

Instead of opening a new can, I had leftover tomato paste that I had frozen in tablespoon portions in Souper Cubes so you see me adding that into the bowl. Freezing leftover tomato paste in small portions gives me another way to use what I already have instead of wasting the rest of an opened can. You can use Souper Cubes or flash freeze it in 1 T portions on parchment paper before putting it into a freeze safe bag.

Other Fermented Recipes

The first recipe for a fermented food that Mike enjoyed is fermented salsa. This is a great way to use up tomatoes from the garden, and it is packed with other fresh ingredients. You can see the full recipe for fermented salsa in this blog.

fresh cilantro and tomatoes with corn chips and salsa in a white bowl

Sauerkraut is a food that everyone knows is fermented and I also have a recipe for that here.

Selecting The Correct Jar

I found a wide-mouth pint jar was the perfect size for the batch of ketchup that was made from this recipe. I prefer using wide mouth jars because they are more versatile and then you can use the same lids for all of your projects. When stored in a jar with a metal lid, the ketchup can be kept for about a month in the refrigerator.

Besides using wide mouth jars in the pantry and the fridge, you can also use them for freezing leftovers. Check out this video for my tips on freezing in jars.

The Result

After two days, Mike tasted it and approved! I will be making it on repeat now as a healthier option for our home. We also used it to make a homemade BBQ sauce.