Ketchup

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A simple ketchup made from tomato paste, maple syrup, and vinegar, with no onion powder or high-fructose corn syrup.

Prep 5 min

Cook 10 min

Serves 16

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1 can (6 oz / 170 g) tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water, plus more to thin
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of ground clove
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Whisk

1. In a small saucepan off the heat, whisk the tomato paste, water, maple syrup, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, paprika, mustard powder, allspice, clove, and a few grinds of pepper until smooth.

Simmer

1. Set the pan over medium-low heat and bring to a bare simmer.
2. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and thickened. It should mound on a spoon the way ketchup does.
3. Thin with a tablespoon of water at a time if it gets too thick. Taste and adjust salt, sugar, or vinegar.

Cool

1. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before jarring. The ketchup tightens further as it chills.

Tips & Substitutions

• Watch the tomato paste serve. Monash lists tomato paste as low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons (about 28 g) per serve. A 6 oz can split across 16 tablespoon-sized servings keeps each portion well under that.
• Check the label on store-bought ketchup. Many mainstream brands list high-fructose corn syrup, onion powder, or "natural flavors" that can include garlic. This recipe keeps those out.
• Use maple syrup, not honey. Honey is high in fructose even in small amounts. Maple syrup is low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons per serve, and brown or white sugar are fine at typical amounts. Agave is high-FODMAP.
• Apple cider vinegar tastes softer. White vinegar is sharper and closer to bottled ketchup; apple cider vinegar adds a little fruity depth. Either works.
• Pinch of asafoetida for a mild onion-like flavor. Stir 1/8 teaspoon in with the spices. Use a gluten-free brand if needed; many are cut with wheat flour.
• Thicker for burgers, thinner for fries. Simmer a minute or two longer for a stiff burger ketchup; add a splash of water for a pourable dipping consistency.

Why This Works

Tomato paste does most of the work. Ketchup is basically concentrated tomato plus sweetener plus vinegar. A 6 oz can across 16 servings lands each tablespoon-sized portion inside the 2-tablespoon Monash serve with room to spare.

No onion or garlic powder. Commercial ketchups almost all list one or both. Leaving them out and using paprika, mustard, allspice, and clove instead covers the savory-warm register without the fructans.

Maple syrup instead of high-fructose corn syrup. HFCS contributes to fructose load, which is a common trigger for IBS. Maple and a little brown sugar hit the same sweet-tangy balance without it.

Vinegar sharpens it. Ketchup without enough acid tastes like pizza sauce. Two tablespoons of vinegar is what pulls the flavor into ketchup territory.

Storage

Refrigerate in a clean jar for up to 3 weeks. The flavor settles and rounds out after a day in the fridge, so ketchup made ahead tastes better than ketchup used right off the stove. Freeze in 1/2-cup portions for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.