Ketchup Copycat Recipe Wanted

LaurieLovesLearning

Years ago I found what I considered the perfect ketchup recipe. I'm positive that I printed it out, because I remember writing some notes on the paper, something to do with a fresh tomatoes equivalent to canned. It was 12 tomatoes! I have not seen this recipe for years & have absolutely no idea where I found it or where my paper copy went. (Grr)

I am looking for a recipe that tastes exactly like Heinz ketchup. Being homemade, however, it can be done with no HFCS/liquid sugar and reduced sweetness & still retain exactly what I want. I had that recipe!

So, does anyone have a fantastic, seedless copycat Heinz ketchup recipe for me to try? I am pretty fussy when it comes to my ketchup. Haha!

RustBeltCowgirl

Would this work?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utCRI9bTbe4

LaurieLovesLearning

Thanks, @RustBeltCowgirl It sounds more complicated than my recipe somehow. I found, at the time & afterward, that many recipes seemed to claim a similar flavor to Heinz, but when I made them, they were nowhere close.

I don't know why I didn't think of it, but maybe I should try to make my own recipe. I have a label here. Maybe I should read the ingredients & go by tasting & more tasting, adding things as I go. I could start with a small batch & scale it up. If I do this and find that I'm successful, I'd post the recipe. I'm not sure if I will get to it anytime soon though, but we'll see.

At least listening to the recipe above got me thinking more.

Karon

I use salsa rather than ketchup at home so don't have a recipe to suggest. But knowing many name brand foods have copycat recipes on the net, I just googled 'heinz ketchup recipe' and got a number of items pop up....you might find one that sounds like the recipe you had, or similar enough to be worth a try.

LaurieLovesLearning

Thanks @KaronPlasha. I remember going through those copycat recipes in the past. Some didn't taste much like the name brand, even though people swore by them.

I wonder if I compared ingredients from the paper with the recipes, if I might find my missing recipe? I bet I could do well by trying that. It wouldn't take as long as trying all of them out hoping to find the perfect one.

Tave

Hi @LaurieLovesLearning

This recipe is based on the Heinz label, then adjusted to paleo. Most people like it sweeter.

2 tablespoons refined coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 pounds very ripe whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped

5 dried figs or ⅓ cup raisins (or more to taste)

⅓ cup vinegar

¼ teaspoon ground celery seed

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon mustard

salt to taste

Heat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add coconut oil and onions, sauté until caramelized (caramelizing the onions help make it a little sweeter and add flavor).

Add the rest of the ingredients. Let it slowly simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, uncovered, using a spoon to crush the tomatoes, and occasionally stirring until very thick (no liquid oozing as you stir). As the texture thickens, make sure to keep an eye on it and stir it more often to keep it from scorching.

Turn off the heat and set it aside. Allow it to cool down to room temperature, transfer to a blender, and puree until smooth. Refrigerate. As with most foods that have tomatoes, the ketchup will continue to develop flavor and thicken. Keep in the refrigerator in an airtight jar for up to a month. It can also be frozen if you want to double or triple the recipe to save time later.

LaurieLovesLearning

Thanks @Tave. This looks like an interesting recipe.

The recipes that have been suggested already, use mustard. I am wondering if mine did too...maybe mustard powder. It just seems like an odd ingredient in some ways.

Whole caramelized onions are an interesting addition. I'm positive that my recipe used powders. I would imagine the first would be healthier & add a richer flavor.

This recipe is sounding similar.

I will just have to experiment. I don't mind less sweet ketchup.

Tave

@LaurieLovesLearning Mustard would definitely make it better, and powders will work, too. I'm sure Heinz uses powder.