Pass the Ketchup, Hold the Additives: Revamp Up Your Condiments with Fresh Ingredients

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Pass the ketchup, hold the additives: Revamp up your toppings with these fresh healthy condiment recipes.

Have you noticed how expensive store-bought condiments and salad dressings have become? Even the “good ones” often include high amounts of sodium and sugar.

Lots of processed and packaged foods contain added sugars. In addition to cereals, bread, crackers, cookies, and salad dressings.

Even Pasta Sauces?

Spaghetti sauces are also notorious for having added sugars. Be sure to look at the serving sizes. If the label says 9 grams of sugar, and there are 4 servings in the jar, that’s 36 grams of sugar. Let’s face it, most of us have more than one serving of everything!

Manufacturers also use several different types of sugars, so look at ingredient lists not just for sugar, but also for syrups and words ending in “ose,” like sucrose, fructose, and maltose. These syrups absorb into the bloodstream more quickly.

Some dressings even have gluten. Read on for some homemade healthy condiment recipes.

Ditch the Additives and Extra Calories in Your Condiments

If you want to avoid the chemicals and the other unnecessary ingredients in condiments like ketchup, BBQ sauce, mayo, mustard, and soy sauce, you can easily avoid extra calories and additives by making your own from scratch with these condiment recipes. After all, enhancing the flavor of your food shouldn’t undo your hard work when you’re trying to eat healthy.

Try these healthy condiment alternative recipes for ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, and soy sauce. With a few basic ingredients, you can kick your meals up a notch without busting your budget.

Ketchup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 2 c. finely chopped onion
• 1 T. Chopped, peeled ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 t. ground allspice
• 1/4 t. Cayenne pepper
• 2 t. mustard powder
• 1/4 c. tomato paste
• 2 28-oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes (preferably unsalted)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2/3 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar (1/2 cup)
• 1 T. molasses
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add ginger, garlic, mustard powder, allspice and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the whole tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree the ketchup in small batches until the mixture is smooth. Return the mixture to the pot. Add bay leaves, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses and salt. Simmer over medium heat and stir frequently until the mixture becomes thick. This will take about 2 hours. Remove the bay leaves and allow the ketchup to cool. Store in an airtight jar or container for up to 2 weeks.

NOTES
Variations: For healthy condiment citrus ketchup, add ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest, plus 1/3 cup fresh orange juice.

Mayonnaise Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 t. Dijon mustard (substitute any mustard of your choosing)
• 4 t. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Add egg yolks to food processor and pulse to mix. Next, add the mustard and lemon juice and pulse two or three times to combine. Slowly add the vegetable oil in a steady stream while the processor is still running. This will allow the mixture to become thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper, or add variations of your choice such as garlic or cayenne pepper.

If at any point the oil separates from the mixture, add another egg yolk and lukewarm water to another bowl and slowly add the previous mixture of mayo to it, whisking constantly. Then add up to a 1/4 c. of vegetable oil in a steady stream.

Mustard Recipe

It’s easy to adjust this recipe to your taste — the darker the mustard seed the hotter the mustard. Choose your favorite acidity as well, whether cider, beer, white wine or even water if you are avoiding alcohol.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c. black, brown or yellow mustard seeds* (For mild mustard use yellow seeds, brown and black seeds are much hotter)
• 1/4 c. cider, beer, white wine or water

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine mustard seeds and liquid of your choice in a small bowl. Soak for 24 hours in the fridge. If the seeds soak up liquid too quickly, add more. After 24 hours, blend in a food processor until desired texture is achieved. Transfer to an airtight jar and remove any air bubbles from the mixture. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

NOTES

Variations: Add sugar, honey, or herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, coriander and caraway seeds for a more creative mixture.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. honey
• 1 t. Dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all ingredients in either a glass jar with a lid or a salad dressing mixer. Shake vigorously until combined.

Soy Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 c. beef bone broth
• 1 t. red wine vinegar
• 1 t. balsamic vinegar
• 2 t. molasses
• 1/4 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. onion powder
• 1 t. fish sauce
• Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all ingredients except the fish sauce in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until reduced by about half. Taste the mixture to check if you’ve achieved your desired taste, add more salt if necessary. Remove from heat and add fish sauce. Stir and let cool, store in the refrigerator.

Barbecue Sauce Recipe

We saved the great American classic for last! Follow the recipe for this healthy condiment the first time you make it, but next time, get creative and turn it into your secret family recipe with a simple tweak or two. You can make it ahead of time and be ready for that long overdue summer backyard barbecue!

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