Tomato-less Ketchup

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Wait a minute. That title can’t be right. Tomato-less ketchup? As in, ketchup… with no tomatoes?

You’ve got it. Ever since learning I was allergic to tomatoes a few months ago, I’ve been on the lookout for replacements for some common tomato staples. Even though I haven’t really eaten much ketchup in years, of course I want it now that I shouldn’t have it. Based on the trial-and-error I’ve been doing with my diet, tomatoes seem to be the main cause of most of my digestive challenges.

Wherefore art thou tomato?

Entering the fall and winter season, a lot of our favorite warm and hearty recipes are full of tomatoes – lasagna and pastas, chili, meatloaf, and even chips and salsa during football games. Tomatoes are easy. Sometimes no tomatoes is not.

Searching for some new cocktail meatball recipes for a party we’re having, I came across an old standby – meatballs in a ketchup and jelly sauce. There are a couple of downsides for me here. First, ketchup is full of tomatoes. Second, lots of jellies have corn syrup. Third, the meatballs themselves often have dairy. Luckily, dairy seems to be the least of my worries, and with hunting I found jellies without corn syrup. And so leaves the ketchup factor.

I came across this recipe on Genius Kitchen. As written, it contains corn syrup. However, a couple of the comments mentioned substituting that for a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, which I did, and thought it turned out wonderfully.

With some of the ingredients in the list, I was skeptical. It’s just not a set of ingredients you usually see mixed together, but after giving it a try, it really works! It tastes just like regular tomato ketchup with maybe a little more tanginess, and it’s delicious!

Canned goods have corn

If you have a corn allergy like me, or want to avoid extra food additives, remember to read the labels on your canned goods too. You’d think a simple can of carrots would be just the carrots and water, but someone, somewhere, thought it would be a good idea to add corn syrup. I found this especially true for jellied cranberry sauce, but I found an organic version that uses real sugar.

Making ketchup without tomatoes

This recipe is so easy and quick to make. For kitchen equipment, all you need is a can opener, some measuring instruments, a blender, and a container to store it in.

The recipe makes about 5 cups of ketchup (~40-42 ounces). I was planning to use about 2 cups for another recipe, so the 3 leftover cups fit nicely into a 32-ounce mason jar. If you want to store the full 5 cups, you’ll need a bigger jar, or divide it between a couple of smaller jars.

Are you ready?

All you need to do: Dump everything in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Use like ketchup.

My husband couldn’t believe there was no tomato. The texture is right, and the tanginess is there, with just enough sweetness. I can’t wait to slather it all over a burger or dip some homemade fries in it!

If the comments are to be believed, it can also be mixed with water and reduced into BBQ sauce, or mixed with horseradish to make cocktail sauce. The sugars and salt can also be adjusted to your taste or diet. Holy versatility, batman!

What are you waiting for? Check out the full instructions and see what all my fuss is about.

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