Fermented KEtchup
Where did ketchup originate?
The journey of ketchup began when the Ancient Greeks, and eventually the Romans, used garum to flavor food which is a basic fish sauce. 2,000 years ago ancient trade routs brought garum to Asia, where it became a staple food flavorer in most countries. The country that used it the most was Vietnam. The Vietnamese eventually got bored with the plain garum and they started to experiment with the fish sauce. They settled on using anchovies as a base to make it their own. This altered garum continued to be passed around Asia and each area altered the sauce a little bit in order to make it more convenient for them or to better fit their tastes. It was not until the sauce made its way to Fuji that the sauce's name changed from garum to ketchup.
In the 1600s, the Europeans came back to Asia and "rediscovered" the sauce not realizing that it was basically their original garum. These people brought it back to Europe and altered the recipe more and more by creating things like walnut ketchup or mushroom ketchup. Eventually, the Europeans faded away from the use of fish completely. However, even though it was no longer a fish sauce, it was not until the 1800s that people began to use tomatoes in the sauce.
In 1904, H.J. Heinz discovered a method to bottle and preserve ketchup using natural ingredients. This was a huge step because until then, people had been using things like boric acid and coal tar in order to preserve the ketchup. Eventually Heinz did turn away from the more natural methods of fermentation and began to add large amounts of sugar to the ketchup, which is why most of the ketchup that we consume today is not fermented.
Why should we eat FERMENTED ketchup?
There are many health benefits to eating fermented ketchup instead of the sugar infused ketchup that we normally find in stores. Commercial ketchup contains an incredible amount of high fructose corn syrup. On many commercialized ketchups, the nutrition facts will list "natural flavorings" as one of the ingredients. In reality, these natural flavorings are not so natural and contain chemicals, usually one being MSG. This being said, some brands have noticed that their ketchup is not that good for our health. One of these brands included Hunt's who tried to reform their recipe and make their ketchup heather, but when they put their new, healthier ketchup on the shelves no one liked it and they ended up being forced to switch back to using a lot of corn syrup. Even after hearing that ketchup has all of this, you may still look at the back of a ketchup bottle and think that there really isn't that much sugar or chemicals in the portions that you eat, but you are most likely eating at least three times the serving size every time you eat ketchup just like the average person.
So if ketchup is this bad for you, why should fermented ketchup be any different? Well, for one, fermented ketchup has a lot less sugar. It is the sugar in the tomato itself (some recipes add a little extra sugar, but not much) and the vinegar that react in order to create the lacto-bacteria made as the ketchup gets more acidic from fermentation. Fermented ketchup is also full of probiotics, a result of fermentation, which are good for your digestive system among other things. It is also low in fat and high in both Vitamin C and A. These vitamins can help your immune system. Fermented ketchup has a base of tomato sauce and eating tomato sauce two or more times a week reduces the risk of developing prostate by 20%. It also cuts your levels of low-density lipoprotein, better known as "bad" cholesterol. If fermented ketchup is added to three daily meals your "bad" cholesterol levels can drop by up to 13% in six weeks and your total cholesterol can drop up to 6%. All in all, there are a lot more benefits to eating fermented ketchup than you can even begin to imagine!
How can I make fermented ketchup?
*Note: It is rare to have problems fermenting ketchup, but watch out for any colored bacteria growing on top of your ketchup. At the end of fermentation, the ketchup should smell a bit tangy, but not too much.
*Fermented ketchup is a result of lactic acid fermentation. This means that a 6 carbon sugar like glucose are converted into cellular energy and lactate. This process does not require oxygen. Bacteria grows and produces lactic acid. This bacteria is usually lactobacillus.
Historical Recipe:
Modern Recipe:
Resources
"Heinz ads will tout ketchup health benefits." Nutraceuticals International. 108 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
Knoblauch, Mark. "Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook At Home." Booklist 111.3 (2014): 25. Professional Development Collection. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
Homemade Fermented Ketchup. The Domestic Man. 25 March 2014. Web. 15 March 2015.
Michaelis, Kristin. Food Renegade. Wordpress, 2015. Web. 15 March 2015.
The journey of ketchup began when the Ancient Greeks, and eventually the Romans, used garum to flavor food which is a basic fish sauce. 2,000 years ago ancient trade routs brought garum to Asia, where it became a staple food flavorer in most countries. The country that used it the most was Vietnam. The Vietnamese eventually got bored with the plain garum and they started to experiment with the fish sauce. They settled on using anchovies as a base to make it their own. This altered garum continued to be passed around Asia and each area altered the sauce a little bit in order to make it more convenient for them or to better fit their tastes. It was not until the sauce made its way to Fuji that the sauce's name changed from garum to ketchup.
In the 1600s, the Europeans came back to Asia and "rediscovered" the sauce not realizing that it was basically their original garum. These people brought it back to Europe and altered the recipe more and more by creating things like walnut ketchup or mushroom ketchup. Eventually, the Europeans faded away from the use of fish completely. However, even though it was no longer a fish sauce, it was not until the 1800s that people began to use tomatoes in the sauce.
In 1904, H.J. Heinz discovered a method to bottle and preserve ketchup using natural ingredients. This was a huge step because until then, people had been using things like boric acid and coal tar in order to preserve the ketchup. Eventually Heinz did turn away from the more natural methods of fermentation and began to add large amounts of sugar to the ketchup, which is why most of the ketchup that we consume today is not fermented.
Why should we eat FERMENTED ketchup?
There are many health benefits to eating fermented ketchup instead of the sugar infused ketchup that we normally find in stores. Commercial ketchup contains an incredible amount of high fructose corn syrup. On many commercialized ketchups, the nutrition facts will list "natural flavorings" as one of the ingredients. In reality, these natural flavorings are not so natural and contain chemicals, usually one being MSG. This being said, some brands have noticed that their ketchup is not that good for our health. One of these brands included Hunt's who tried to reform their recipe and make their ketchup heather, but when they put their new, healthier ketchup on the shelves no one liked it and they ended up being forced to switch back to using a lot of corn syrup. Even after hearing that ketchup has all of this, you may still look at the back of a ketchup bottle and think that there really isn't that much sugar or chemicals in the portions that you eat, but you are most likely eating at least three times the serving size every time you eat ketchup just like the average person.
So if ketchup is this bad for you, why should fermented ketchup be any different? Well, for one, fermented ketchup has a lot less sugar. It is the sugar in the tomato itself (some recipes add a little extra sugar, but not much) and the vinegar that react in order to create the lacto-bacteria made as the ketchup gets more acidic from fermentation. Fermented ketchup is also full of probiotics, a result of fermentation, which are good for your digestive system among other things. It is also low in fat and high in both Vitamin C and A. These vitamins can help your immune system. Fermented ketchup has a base of tomato sauce and eating tomato sauce two or more times a week reduces the risk of developing prostate by 20%. It also cuts your levels of low-density lipoprotein, better known as "bad" cholesterol. If fermented ketchup is added to three daily meals your "bad" cholesterol levels can drop by up to 13% in six weeks and your total cholesterol can drop up to 6%. All in all, there are a lot more benefits to eating fermented ketchup than you can even begin to imagine!
How can I make fermented ketchup?
*Note: It is rare to have problems fermenting ketchup, but watch out for any colored bacteria growing on top of your ketchup. At the end of fermentation, the ketchup should smell a bit tangy, but not too much.
*Fermented ketchup is a result of lactic acid fermentation. This means that a 6 carbon sugar like glucose are converted into cellular energy and lactate. This process does not require oxygen. Bacteria grows and produces lactic acid. This bacteria is usually lactobacillus.
Historical Recipe:
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 6oz cans of tomato paste
- 2 tbsp whey or sauerkraut juice
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 dash cinnamon
- 1 dash ground cloves
- 1 dash garlic powder
- 1 dash black pepper
- 1 dash sea salt
- Whisk all ingredients together. Pour into small mason jars. Cover. Let sit at room temperature for at least a week. Stir, recover, and store in fridge when opened.
Modern Recipe:
- 2 cups tomato paste
- 1/4 cup raw honey, maple syrup, or unrefined cane sugar
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. fresh whey (can be drained from yogurt, kefir, or raw milk)
- 2 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar (can add extra if ketchup gets too thick)
- 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
- 1 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- Mix all ingredients together. Portion into small mason jars. Cover loosely. Let sit at room temperature for 3-5 days. Stir, recover, and refrigerate. Should last a few months.
Resources
"Heinz ads will tout ketchup health benefits." Nutraceuticals International. 108 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
Knoblauch, Mark. "Marcus Off Duty: The Recipes I Cook At Home." Booklist 111.3 (2014): 25. Professional Development Collection. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
Homemade Fermented Ketchup. The Domestic Man. 25 March 2014. Web. 15 March 2015.
Michaelis, Kristin. Food Renegade. Wordpress, 2015. Web. 15 March 2015.