Sugar Free Ketchup
This sugar free ketchup is sweet, smoky, and delicious. It also happens to contain no added sugar. Perfect for families looking to eat less sugar, this condiment also actually counts towards your veg intake for the day, while shop-bought ketchup doesn’t due to its high sugar content!
Ah, summer. The sun is out, the kids are on holiday, and the BBQ season starts.
Yummy.
But potentially hazardous for those of us trying to eat less sugar.
Sadly, sugar is not only used in sweet recipes. Many many savoury foods contain it. And none more so than sauces.
If you feel like you have to make do with mayonnaise, mustard or nothing when you reduce your sugar intake, don’t worry, I’m here to help!
On Father’s Day, we buy a bottle of Daddie’s Brown Sauce for my husband, who loves the stuff, and we (mostly he) use it sparingly from time to time for a fry up.
But most sauces – from the more obvious relishes and “sweet chilli” ones to mint sauce, BBQ sauce and even horseradish or some flavoured hummuses, guacamoles and other dips – contain lots of sugar. We use them sparingly, and sometimes you just want something else to dip a chip into!
One of the worst offenders is ketchup.
I wouldn’t say we have ever been massive ketchup fans. I grew up in Belgium, where mayonnaise was the condiment served with frites, and my husband, as mentioned, is more of a brown sauce man for bacon, and mayonnaise or BBQ sauce for chips.
However, it is true that when you have not eaten packaged sauces for a while, a sugar free ketchup seems like a wonderful recipe to try, and we have really, really enjoyed testing it out!
The whole family has loved this sauce, and as a bonus, it is far healthier and cheaper than the sugar-laden processed ones.
I will not lie to you and tell you it tastes just like your supermarket ketchup. However, I can assure you that it isn’t a million miles off, and it is really really good. I hope will become a beloved substitute for your family as it has for ours.
Little hands can:
- Pour ingredients into the saucepan and stir before it goes on the stove
- Help you taste (cooled sauce!) and adjust seasonings
- Help you pour the cooled sauce into a jar or bottle (use a funnel for a bottle as it can get messy if not)
A sugar free version of a favourite family condiment. This sugar free ketchup is healthy as well as tasty!
- 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes (or 400g passata)
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp xylitol, Natvia or 2 tsp rice syrup*, optional (you can adjust this to suit your family's tastes - you can of course use sugar or a couple of soft dates, as the amount of sugar is still very small*!)
- salt and pepper, to taste
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Place all of the ingredients in a saucepan, stir well to mix, and bring to the boil.
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Allow to simmer until you have your desired consistency, stirring regularly to avoid burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan. (I find about 20 mins is a good consistency for us, but keep an eye on it and take it off the heat once you are happy with it).
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Store in an airtight bottle in the fridge. Will keep for 2-3 weeks, if it lasts that long!
*if you choose to make it with rice syrup or sugar, the entire bottle will still only contain 2 tsp free sugar (with rice syrup it would still be fructose free)
**fancy taking this a step up nutritionally? If you have some whey from straining yogurt to get Greek yogurt or cream cheese - don't chuck it! Add 3-4 tbsp into the ketchup once it is coooled but before bottling. Mix well and then pour into a sterilised or well-washed (in hot, soapy water) and rinsed jar. Pour some filtered water into a leak-proof zip-lock bag and add to the jar on top of the ketchup to weigh it down. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a cool dry place (in a cupboard in the kitchen or pantry works well) for 24-48 hours. It should taste slightly sour. And there you go - fermented ketchup! 🙂
Looking for more lunchbox-friendly foods for a healthy snack? Take a look through our ones here.
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