• Interesting facts about ketchup
• First - tomatoes
• Second, sugar
• Third, food additives
• Fourth - sweeteners instead of sugar
• Fifth - how to prepare ketchup at home?
• summary

Ketchup is undoubtedly one of the most popular cold sauces in the world. Every day we add it to sandwiches, pizza and other different dishes. That's why we decided to focus on it and check what effects it can have on our body and how to choose the best one. The fact is that when choosing, we are mostly guided by taste, after all, the products of individual manufacturers differ in many parameters. These additives, as well as their amount, usually determine the quality and taste of ketchup. However, the most important parameter in this case is the content of tomatoes in the finished product, because the nutrients contained in them have the greatest health-promoting power.

Interesting facts about ketchup

While ketchup probably needs no introduction, the fact of its original origin may come as a surprise. After all, it comes from China and in its first form had little to do with the product we know today. Loosely translated, the word simply meant fish spice. A little later, it took on a form similar to Polynesian fish soup, the main ingredient of which was sardines, beans and onions, but still no tomatoes. Interestingly, the product was very popular in Chinese taverns, and over time red wine was added to sharpen the taste. The breakthrough came around the 17th century when this sauce made its way to Europe and thus to England, where its evolution began. They started adding various spices, as well as peppers and tomato paste. Initially, it was extremely expensive and only the wealthiest sections of society could afford it. At the end of the 19th century, however, it made its way to the United States in a slightly modified form, where today's ketchup was born. Responsible for this was Henry John Heinz, who developed the recipe, mainly based on the taste preferences of the local people. In addition, he improved the production process that allowed it to be manufactured on a much larger scale than before. Unfortunately, the consequence of such a procedure was the gradual deterioration in the quality of ketchup. Much lower quality ingredients were used, and the natural ones were simply replaced with artificial equivalents. Therefore, it is worth paying close attention to the label when choosing ketchup.

First - tomatoes

Tomatoes are undoubtedly the basis as well as the basis of every ketchup. Unfortunately, this is where the basic problem with many ketchups arises. When choosing ketchup, it is worth considering how many grams of tomatoes were used to make 100 grams of finished sauce. Here the statement applies, the more the better. It is believed that the highest quality ketchups contain 220 to about 260 grams of tomatoes. However, finding such on store shelves is quite a challenge, and most of the popular ketchups contain much less. In some cases, these are even values of 150, 140 or even 120 grams of tomatoes in 100 grams of ketchup! These are best avoided. The safe and real limit is simply to choose those where the tomato content exceeds 200 grams. According to societal opinion, ketchup is not a healthy product, but this statement can be harmful. A high-quality product with a high proportion of tomatoes can do a lot of good. First of all, it will be the nutrients contained in this vegetable. First, they contain huge amounts of lycopene. It is a powerful antioxidant from the carotenoid family and is excellent at fighting oxygen free radicals, and there can be up to three times more in a processed product than in a fresh one. In addition, they contain potassium, which is extremely important for the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system. Cardioprotective properties are shown by the organic acids contained in tomatoes, which intensify the processes of fatty acid degradation in the liver. Good quality ketchup is also a great source of vitamin C, as well as vitamin B and bromine, which affects the proper functioning of the nervous system.

Second, sugar

Simple sugars are the scourge of our time. They are added to almost all foods for flavoring and preservation purposes, but also as fillers. Ketchup did not miss this trend either. Although sugar is in some ways a natural part of ketchups, care should be taken to minimize it. In the case of inferior products, it can be up to 35 grams per 100 grams. This means that in 1 tablespoon of ketchup we have about 1.5 tablespoons of sugar. It sounds really bad. The most common values on the market are 25 to 20 grams of sugar per 100 grams of ketchup. However, the highest quality usually contain less than 20 grams and it is best to go for such products.

Third, food additives

Right at the beginning it should be noted that many food additives are not harmful to health. We also find them in ketchup under the mysterious name “E”. Products of this type are very often thickened with, for example, starch, xanthan gum and guar gum. They do not negatively affect our body and are relatively safe, but to have the opportunity to choose ketchup without these unnecessary additives - it is worth using such an option. In the composition we can also come across preservatives. For ketchups, these are mostly sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Interestingly, potassium sorbate is one of the safest food preservatives, and its presence shouldn't worry us. Sodium benzoate is also a safe remedy, but it should be added that it can increase allergy symptoms, so, as above, it's worth looking for ketchups without these additives, although their presence in high-quality products is also something normal. The final food additives to discuss are acidity regulators. The most common include malic and citric acid. Their basic function is to acidify the product's environment, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and gives it the right taste. You shouldn't be afraid of them, and their presence in ketchup is completely natural.

Fourth - sweeteners instead of sugar

We've recently found sugar-free ketchups on store shelves. This is very good information for diabetics and anyone who restricts sugar in their daily diet. Such ketchups usually contain erythritol, stevia or sucralose. These substances are the safest for our health and are supposed to give the ketchup the right taste. However, there is a fundamental problem with this type of product that we must pay special attention to. Zero ketchups may be high quality, but for the most part they contain far fewer tomatoes than their counterparts. Therefore, when choosing such ketchup, this parameter must be carefully monitored.

Fifth - how to prepare ketchup at home?

Making ketchup at home is very simple. In addition, we will not miss the satisfaction and certainty regarding the composition, as well as any changes.

Ingredients needed:

• 1 kg of your favorite tomato variety
• 2-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 15 grams of sugar or even erythritol
• A small onion and a clove of garlic
• favorite spices

Preparation of ketchup

1. First wash the tomatoes and then cut them into quarters or even smaller pieces.
2. Cut the garlic and onion into small cubes.
3. Then cover and steam the prepared vegetables for about 25 minutes, being careful not to burn them. It is worth putting a tablespoon of olive oil or any other oil on the bottom beforehand.
4. We mix the vinegar with the previously prepared spices in a bowl and cook until boiling. Then let the solution cool down so that the spices develop their full aroma. You can also pass the vinegar through a sieve to get rid of the fine spice particles.
5. Next, add the vinegar and spice solution to the vegetables and cook, covered, for the next 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. After cooking let everything cool down. Next, we wipe the resulting mass through a sieve with the help of a spoon.
7. The last step is to mix the tomato paste with sugar/sweetener and add a pinch of salt and then cook for about an hour upon arrival.
8. After this time we let the finished ketchup cool down, but we can also purée the whole thing to get a better consistency.

Ready ketchup can be poured into previously sterilized jars and tightly closed. In this case, the storage time in the refrigerator is about 3 weeks. If we want our ketchup to last much longer, we can pasteurize the whole thing, which allows it to be stored for up to a year.

summary

Good quality ketchup can be an extremely healthy product. We can also prepare it at home to be absolutely sure how it is composed. A high-quality product should be characterized by a high proportion of tomatoes, but also a low sugar content. All food additives are not harmful to health, but the less of them in the composition of ketchup, the better. On the other hand, low-quality ketchups can even be harmful. It is not just a matter of a small proportion of tomatoes, but above all of sugar, which, if consumed in excess, can lead to diabetes, but also to tooth decay and many other health complications.