Over the past few years I have been doing some reading and research into Lacto-Fermented foods and the health benefits of introducing these recipes into our diets. I have fun learning new skills and this technique of making and preserving food fascinates me.
Fermented food is something that I have always liked and enjoyed eating. One of my favorites is sauerkraut. I will have a recipe for this on the blog soon. I have been making this ketchup for over a year now. My kids eat a lot of ketchup. A lot to me is 2 bottles a month. We eat ketchup on our eggs, with meat, potatoes, hamburgers, etc.... I also use it as an ingredient in several recipes-meatloaf being the most popular.
I have two delicious meatloaf recipes on the blog: Mini-Meatloaves and Meatloaf in a bread pan.
Organic Ketchup gets expensive when you eat as much as we do so I decided to make my own. I like the flavor of this recipe. Don't be shocked by the use of fish sauce. The smell in the bottle is enough to gag you but once it is used in the recipe that all goes away. If you are nervous for the first batch then use less and see how it taste to you. Honestly, people love it when they come to my house and have no idea that fish sauce is one of the ingredients.
If you are new to lacto fermented food I have several books that I keep in my cookbook collection to answer any questions that I have. My first book is Nourishing Traditions
by Sally Fallon. It is a nice thick book that has lots of recipes for healthy eating. The second book is True Brews: How to Craft Fermented Cider, Beer, Wine, Sake, Soda, Mead, Kefir, and Kombucha at Home
by Emma Christensen. The second book has more to do with drinks but we drink several fermented drinks in our home too.
Fermentation has helped me heal my gut. It makes me feel good. I don't have the stomach problems I have had in the past. I hope to introduce you to more lacto fermented foods as I make and develop recipes for them over the next year. It is something I really believe in and want to encourage people to make and use in their own homes. This is a recipe from Sally's book to give you an idea of what you will find in her collection of recipes.
NOTE: I have linked several ingredients and the books to my Amazon store. There is no obligation to buy. I make a small fee from each sale. This is a great way for me to share with you what products we use in our home.
NOTE: I have linked several ingredients and the books to my Amazon store. There is no obligation to buy. I make a small fee from each sale. This is a great way for me to share with you what products we use in our home.
Lacto-Fermented Ketchup
Makes 1 quart-Adapted from Nourishing Traditions
3 cups canned Organic Tomato Paste
1/4 cup of whey (see below how to make this at home)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup--use the real thing
1/4 teaspoon cayenne--this is optional
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/4-1/2 cup commercial Fish Sauce <--this is the brand we use but any brand will work
1. In a medium bowl combine and mix all ingredients until well blended.
2. Add ketchup to a glass canning jar or any jar with a lid that seals. I use the jars that have the spring loaded lids that latch on the side.
3. Let ketchup sit on your counter for two days. Find a dark part of your counter which is out of the way. I add a sticky note with the date to it so I don't forget when I made it.
4. After two days, stir ketchup and taste. Store in refrigerator. Good for 2 months.
How to make whey: Buy 1 large container of organic plain yogurt. Place a piece of cheese cloth, folded several times, over a glass jar with a rubber band around the mouth, or tie the cloth to a sturdy wooden spoon and suspend the yogurt in the jar. The idea is the yogurt to drain and for the glass jar to catch the whey. Pour yogurt into the cheese cloth. Let it drip on the counter for 3 hours. You should have about 1.5 cups of whey and some delicious greek yogurt. (If you let it drip longer the yogurt will turn into cream cheese) Store in refrigerator for up to 3 months.
The picture below is my whey that I keep in the refrigerator. The whey will settle once it has sat in the refrigerator. The picture below is after it has been stirred.
1/4 cup of whey (see below how to make this at home)
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 cup maple syrup--use the real thing
1/4 teaspoon cayenne--this is optional
3 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1/4-1/2 cup commercial Fish Sauce <--this is the brand we use but any brand will work
1. In a medium bowl combine and mix all ingredients until well blended.
2. Add ketchup to a glass canning jar or any jar with a lid that seals. I use the jars that have the spring loaded lids that latch on the side.
3. Let ketchup sit on your counter for two days. Find a dark part of your counter which is out of the way. I add a sticky note with the date to it so I don't forget when I made it.
4. After two days, stir ketchup and taste. Store in refrigerator. Good for 2 months.
How to make whey: Buy 1 large container of organic plain yogurt. Place a piece of cheese cloth, folded several times, over a glass jar with a rubber band around the mouth, or tie the cloth to a sturdy wooden spoon and suspend the yogurt in the jar. The idea is the yogurt to drain and for the glass jar to catch the whey. Pour yogurt into the cheese cloth. Let it drip on the counter for 3 hours. You should have about 1.5 cups of whey and some delicious greek yogurt. (If you let it drip longer the yogurt will turn into cream cheese) Store in refrigerator for up to 3 months.
The picture below is my whey that I keep in the refrigerator. The whey will settle once it has sat in the refrigerator. The picture below is after it has been stirred.
Written by Sherron Watson