Lactofermenting question--ketchup

[miss_thenorth]

The recipe I posted, I doubled it and then made it twice. as in, each batch was 3 cups of tomato paste. I lessened the sweetener in the first batch( I used honey). I found it had a slightly strong clove flavour. The second batch, I followed exactly, except put in just a smidgeon less cloves, and it tasted EXACTLY like store bought ketchup, sans the HFCS, and full of lactofermented goodness!!!! I'm hoping the flavour will still be good after it sets for 2-3 days. I will report back after I open it. The anchovy paste, could be optional, but I put it in since I had it for my caesar dressing recipe. I'm sure it would be fine without it.

you do know that you can get it without HFCS now? Can't remember if it is Hunts or Heinz I like the sugar version better as determined by a blind taste test that the kids set up.

I'm in Canada and it is a bit more difficult than that. The only way is if you buy organic and then I pay almost 5$ (4.79$) for 575 ml. I can make (and just did, btw, 3 liters for under 4$. Plus, this is much healthier for you. And, on top of all that, i enjoy making things by myself.

 

[urban dreamer]

The recipe I posted, I doubled it and then made it twice. as in, each batch was 3 cups of tomato paste. I lessened the sweetener in the first batch( I used honey). I found it had a slightly strong clove flavour. The second batch, I followed exactly, except put in just a smidgeon less cloves, and it tasted EXACTLY like store bought ketchup, sans the HFCS, and full of lactofermented goodness!!!! I'm hoping the flavour will still be good after it sets for 2-3 days. I will report back after I open it. The anchovy paste, could be optional, but I put it in since I had it for my caesar dressing recipe. I'm sure it would be fine without it.

you do know that you can get it without HFCS now? Can't remember if it is Hunts or Heinz I like the sugar version better as determined by a blind taste test that the kids set up.

I'm in Canada and it is a bit more difficult than that. The only way is if you buy organic and then I pay almost 5$ (4.79$) for 575 ml. I can make (and just did, btw, 3 liters for under 4$. Plus, this is much healthier for you. And, on top of all that, i enjoy making things by myself.

AMEN!

 

[Henrietta23]

The recipe I posted, I doubled it and then made it twice. as in, each batch was 3 cups of tomato paste. I lessened the sweetener in the first batch( I used honey). I found it had a slightly strong clove flavour. The second batch, I followed exactly, except put in just a smidgeon less cloves, and it tasted EXACTLY like store bought ketchup, sans the HFCS, and full of lactofermented goodness!!!! I'm hoping the flavour will still be good after it sets for 2-3 days. I will report back after I open it. The anchovy paste, could be optional, but I put it in since I had it for my caesar dressing recipe. I'm sure it would be fine without it.

you do know that you can get it without HFCS now? Can't remember if it is Hunts or Heinz I like the sugar version better as determined by a blind taste test that the kids set up.

Heinz. It tastes great! Big Y (local grocery chain out of MA) has a store brand organic that is HFCS free too. If the Heinz is on sale I'll buy that, otherwise the store brand is good too.

 

[miss_thenorth]

The recipe I posted, I doubled it and then made it twice. as in, each batch was 3 cups of tomato paste. I lessened the sweetener in the first batch( I used honey). I found it had a slightly strong clove flavour. The second batch, I followed exactly, except put in just a smidgeon less cloves, and it tasted EXACTLY like store bought ketchup, sans the HFCS, and full of lactofermented goodness!!!! I'm hoping the flavour will still be good after it sets for 2-3 days. I will report back after I open it. The anchovy paste, could be optional, but I put it in since I had it for my caesar dressing recipe. I'm sure it would be fine without it.

you do know that you can get it without HFCS now? Can't remember if it is Hunts or Heinz I like the sugar version better as determined by a blind taste test that the kids set up.

Heinz. It tastes great! Big Y (local grocery chain out of MA) has a store brand organic that is HFCS free too. If the Heinz is on sale I'll buy that, otherwise the store brand is good too.

Meijer brand has a ketchup too that is HFCS free too. hubby picked one up on one of his tripe to Mio, michigan. Canada has little variety when it comes to things like that. but that's ok, since I can make it

 

[freemotion]

Soooo......how'd the ketchup come out, miss_thenorth?

 

[miss_thenorth]

The first batch was way too clove-y. I will make it again, but I would 1/4 the amount of cloves. Going in the jar, I think it tasted just like storebought, but coming out, it was too strong. I would probably up the garlic though. for this batch, I'm gonna make some more without the cloves and mix the two batches together.

 

[freemotion]

Yep, some flavors to get stronger with fermenting.....maybe a tiny pinch of cloves would work. Sometimes when someone is working out a recipe, they may be working with grocery-store ingredients. If we then try fresher flavorings, it comes out very different.

In my reading of wine and mead recipes (fermenting!) there are repeated warnings not to use too much spice, as the flavor intensifies. I'm always amazed at the small amounts used per gallon and without the warnings, I'd be quadrupling the spices. But they intensify with the fermentation, apparently.

Other things get more mild. I find that mustard calms down with age.

 

[miss_thenorth]

I'm finding withe time, I would up the garlic big time, and possibly leave out the cloves (maybe a pinch) but leave the allspice. I l o v e ketchup, I need more tomato paste to mix it up, so I can use it. On the upside, I made shepherd's pie to day and used the ketchup in with the ground beef. It was delish!!

 

[noobiechickenlady]

The biggest problem I have had with ketchup is getting the garlic amount right. Fermented garlic can get WICKED strong

YES! Where I would use a teaspoon of fresh minced garlic, fermented minced garlic gets the tip of a fork full. Hey, it goes further that way, though

Nice to know about the cloves, MTN. I didn't use any when I made it. Just tomato paste, garlic, sorgum, cayenne, salt. I need to make some more ketchup, we're almost out. Got plenty of mustard though, woohoo!

 

[miss_thenorth]

I just thought of something, partly due to reding Pat's thread wehre someone said fresh gound spices are more potent. My cloves were fresh gorund, but all the other spices were already preground. That might have a effect on why it's way too clove-y.