Lots of people have emailed me over the years for a homemade ketchup recipe, and I’ve emailed back a basic, loose recipe that gets us by. But now I’m pleased to share Erin’s recipe! It offers more flavor and is lacto-fermented for greater nutrition and a longer shelf life. Enjoy! –Wardeh
Is it crazy for ketchup to bring me such a smile? Honestly! I didn’t know if I should name this delicacy “Oh My Lans Ketchup!”, “Mercy Sakes Ketchup!”, or “You Are Never Going to Believe It Ketchup!”. When I think about this delicious, simple, and nutritious condiment, I can only shake my head. Can you imagine encouraging your child to take a dip in his/her ketchup? Who doesn’t love to dip? Enjoy the taste and tang of summer year round with this lacto-fermented treat! Your gut will thank you… as will each of your friends and family members! 
- 12 ounces organic tomato paste (no salt added)
- 1/4 + 1/8 cup water
- 1/8 cup whey (or water)
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder (could probably use a prepared dijon mustard if you don’t have powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used larger grained salt.)
- 1/4-1/3 cup maple syrup or honey (You could even add a bit of molasses.)
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Pour sauce into a storage container. Cover and leave at room temperature for two days. Move to the fridge.
Oh, my! Just thinking about this ketchup makes my mouth water. When my neighbor was giving it a taste test, she suggested using it as a barbeque sauce for grilling. Excellent idea!
See all basic recipes, including lacto-fermented mayonnaise and honey-dill mustard.
Next week, Erin will be sharing another basic lacto-fermented condiment! This recipe is shared in Real Food Wednesday, hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
About Erin
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Hello, and thank you for sharing the blessings God has given you so that we too can enjoy His bountiful offerings the way He intended. Tomato paste, as opposed to tomato puree, isn’t widely available here in England, and the only brand i’ve found does unfortunately contain added salt. If I use it for this recipe, could I just omit the salt listed in the recipe, or is it there as a preservative as well as seasoning? Many thanks in advance, God bless
How long will it stay good for?
How long will this last in the fridge?
Holly — I had some last 6 months and it was still good for longer I am sure. It wasn’t opened very often at the back of the fridge. Opening it more will reduce the storage time.
To the person who wanted to know if there’s an alternative to whey: I’ve used the juice from home make sauerkraut to lactoferment lots of savory recipes. It’s perfect for ketchup. Delish.
Thanks that what I needed to know since I don’t like whey! Happy fermenting!
hello B.
oooh, that does sound yummy. thank you. I am not up on what can make something probiotic, so would that also make the ketchup probiotic?
That sounds wonderful. I don’t always like the flavor of whey and I do love the fermented cabbage juice Idea. I can’t wait to try this sounds fantastic! Thanks for suggesting it!
cant wait to try this. ive got my yougert hanging right now.
I’m excited to find this recipe for lacto-fermented ketchup. However, I was surprised that you can lacto-ferment something which has been cooked first. The lactic acid-producing bacteria survive the cooking process O.K.? It is the whey and salt which preserves it, and it gets new, live lactic-acid producing bacteria from the air, our hands, and/or??? ! Thanks for your responses!
Julie — Yes, you can lacto-ferment something which has been cooked first. But since the naturally present organisms have died you MUST add a starter culture — from whey or a non-dairy starter culture. That’s why this works.
Thanks for this recipe – it sounds yummy! Question…. if I use water instead of whey, do I need to add more salt or add some type of culture?
Chana — Double the salt or use a non-whey culture (not both).
I just put some ketchup out to ferment. I started with the NourishingTraditions recipe, but tweeked it quite a bit with a little apple cider vinegar and cloves, garlic and onion powder, but was still wondering what it was missing. Next time, I’m trying this one!
Can I use the whey from draining my kefir in this? Thanks, Jenn
Kefir cheese that is
Jenn — Yes!
Thank you for letting me know so quickly! Also do you make your Kefir with grains or from the powder? I noticed that yours is so much thicker than mine, I use the grains.
i made this last week, used a recipe from cultures for health which said to sit out for 3-5 days. My hubby put it in the fridge after the right amount of time since I had to go out of town. I got home and tasted it today and what started outta sting like my grandma’s homemade ketchup before fermentation now tastes like home-brew….
. Any hints for what to do different next time????