Making tomato ketchup couldn’t be easier with this easy homemade ketchup recipe! Using fresh tomatoes for the richest flavor, this low-carb ketchup is a healthier version of your store-bought favorite.
Making ketchup from fresh tomatoes is the absolute best! You just can’t beat the taste of this easy homemade ketchup.
This sugar-free ketchup recipe is also low-carb and keto-friendly – perfect for anyone wanting to cut down their overall carb count without forgoing this family favorite condiment!
Vegan homemade ketchup with fresh tomatoes stores very well in the refrigerator or even longer in the freezer. Serve it up with French fries, smashed potatoes, vegan burgers, or anything else you enjoy a helping of ketchup with!
What’s the Difference Between Ketchup & Tomato Sauce?
While some people consider ketchup and tomato sauce to be the same, there are a few differences between these two condiments.
Ketchup is a familiar condiment in the United States that’s made with tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Tomato sauce is also made with tomatoes and spices but includes additional ingredients such as stock (either meat or vegetable-based) and seems to be the preferred condiment of the two in other countries.
Is This Vegan Ketchup Recipe Healthy?
Absolutely! For one thing, it doesn’t contain all those nasty artificial flavors or preservatives which are added to commercial ketchup for extended shelf-life.
This recipe also doesn’t call for processed sugar. In fact, all the ingredients are natural and would also suit someone following a keto or low-carb diet since the recipe uses monk fruit as a sweetener.
What You’ll Need
The ingredients list for this homemade ketchup is sweet & simple. If you want to make a low carb or keto ketchup recipe – opt for the monk fruit sweetener and half an onion. Otherwise, feel free to use regular sugar and a whole onion. You’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Ripe tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves
- Onion
- Granulated monk fruit (or granulated regular sugar)
- Red wine vinegar (balsamic vinegar would work too)
- Salt
- Smoked paprika (use regular paprika if you can’t find smoked)
How to Make this Easy Homemade Ketchup
Add olive oil to a saucepan and warm to medium heat.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add chopped onion, and cook until translucent, stirring so that it doesn’t burn.
Add chopped tomatoes, monk fruit or sugar, vinegar, salt & paprika, and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 25-30 minutes or until most of the water from the tomatoes has been reduced.
Either transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Store your ketchup in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
How Long Will This Fresh Tomato Ketchup Recipe Last?
This ketchup will last for up to 3 weeks when stored in the refrigerator. The vinegar in it actually acts as a natural preservative but just in case, always test the freshness of your stored ketchup by smell and taste.
You should also make sure that you seal your low carb ketchup in an airtight jar or glass bottle, having sterilized the jar with boiling water prior to storage use.
Can You Freeze This Low Carb Ketchup?
If you don’t use ketchup that often and feel that it may go to waste stored in the refrigerator, go ahead and spoon the ketchup into ice trays to freeze. You can then easily pop them out to thaw whenever you’re in need of some ketchup sauce.
Vegan homemade ketchup with fresh tomatoes will last 3-6 months in the freezer.
What Can You Use This Sugar-Free Ketchup Recipe For?
The most common use for homemade ketchup for a vegan diet is as a condiment for French fries, potato wedges, veggie fries, veggie burgers, vegan hot dogs, and tater tots to name just a few.
Vegan homemade ketchup is also great to use as an ingredient in other recipes such as a base for pizza, barbeque sauce, vegan pad thai, veggie spaghetti dishes, stews, and soups.
Can You Use Tomato Paste Or Canned Tomatoes Instead of Making Ketchup from Fresh Tomatoes?
Yes, you could. Personally, I always opt for fresh produce when making tomato ketchup but if you’re in a pinch then you can certainly use tomato paste or canned tomatoes instead.
You’ll need to use about 12oz (350ml) of tomato paste, or 2 x 15oz cans of tomatoes to replace the fresh tomatoes.
Tips for Making the Best Homemade Ketchup from Fresh Tomatoes
- I prefer storing homemade ketchup in glass jars instead of plastic. Glass is easier to clean in between uses and generally safer from a food storage perspective.
- While not called for, you can opt to sterilize your glass jar, submerging it in boiling water for about 10 minutes and then allowing it to cool completely prior to storing your freshly made ketchup in. This practice can extend the shelf-life of the ketchup but is also great for food safety.
- I’ve made this sugar free ketchup recipe fairly low-carb by only using ½ an onion. If the carb count doesn’t matter to you, go ahead and use an entire onion instead.
Other vegan sauces & dips to try:
Vegan Homemade Ketchup With Fresh Tomatoes
Making tomato ketchup couldn’t be easier with this easy homemade ketchup recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900g) ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1/3 cup granulated monk fruit (or regular sugar)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a saucepan and warm to medium heat.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add chopped onion, and cook until translucent, stirring so that it doesn't burn.
- Add chopped tomatoes, monk fruit or sugar, vinegar, salt & paprika, and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for 25-30 minutes or until most of the water from the tomatoes has been reduced.
- Either transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Store your ketchup in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
Instead of monk fruit sweetener, you can use regular granulated sugar in this recipe.
Instead of red wine vinegar, you can use balsamic vinegar.
If you want to batch cook this ketchup, sterilize your jars with boiling water for ten minutes. The ketchup can then be sealed and kept for 4-5 weeks.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 15Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 0g
Nutrition information should be considered as an estimation only.