If your home is among the 97% of kitchens that has ketchup
sitting on a pantry shelf, this question might have occurred to you,
especially if you have children that shake it all over their food. The
answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no, depending on your health needs
and what you do with the ketchup.
Ketchup is one of the few processed foods that doesn't have preservatives, so it doesn't have a lot of junk that some foods have. It has a small amount of lycopene, which helps to prevent some kinds of cancer. One tablespoon of ketchup has 16 calories and no fat, so if an individual doesn't go overboard when they lavish it onto a hamburger or slice of meatloaf, it isn't of great concern.
Unfortunately there are some cons if you are watching sugar and salt intake. Most ketchup is 25% sugar and is high in salt. But there are ways to minimize this problem. When you buy your next bottle of this favorite condiment, check the label. Some ketchup is made with artificial sweetening and reduced sodium. You also might want to check the other ingredients if there are some things you can't eat.
There is one way that gives you complete control over what goes into your ketchup - make it yourself! It's not as far out as it sounds. You'll find many recipes on the Internet, and it's easy to do. It can be made with canned or fresh tomatoes, and you can add your favorite herbs and spices. If you cook it in a crock pot you can go do something else while it's cooking, and it won't make a mess by splattering all over your stove. The slow cooking completely blends the ingredients and gives it a deeper flavor. After it's done, put it into jars and wrap them in aluminum foil so the ketchup keeps its bright red color.
It's important to keep it from fermenting. Opened ketchup shouldn't be allowed to sit in a very warm kitchen or in direct sunlight, as it sometimes will squirt out all over you or the kitchen when you take the cap off, and make a dreadful mess. It can be stored in a cool place (such as a pantry shelf away from a heat source like a stove) for about a month. Longer than that, it's best kept in the refrigerator. If the bottle hasn't been opened, it will keep for about a year in the pantry. Stored this way it should keep from fermenting and have a good flavor. If there is any sign that it has started to ferment, it should be thrown away.
Ketchup is one of the few processed foods that doesn't have preservatives, so it doesn't have a lot of junk that some foods have. It has a small amount of lycopene, which helps to prevent some kinds of cancer. One tablespoon of ketchup has 16 calories and no fat, so if an individual doesn't go overboard when they lavish it onto a hamburger or slice of meatloaf, it isn't of great concern.
Unfortunately there are some cons if you are watching sugar and salt intake. Most ketchup is 25% sugar and is high in salt. But there are ways to minimize this problem. When you buy your next bottle of this favorite condiment, check the label. Some ketchup is made with artificial sweetening and reduced sodium. You also might want to check the other ingredients if there are some things you can't eat.
There is one way that gives you complete control over what goes into your ketchup - make it yourself! It's not as far out as it sounds. You'll find many recipes on the Internet, and it's easy to do. It can be made with canned or fresh tomatoes, and you can add your favorite herbs and spices. If you cook it in a crock pot you can go do something else while it's cooking, and it won't make a mess by splattering all over your stove. The slow cooking completely blends the ingredients and gives it a deeper flavor. After it's done, put it into jars and wrap them in aluminum foil so the ketchup keeps its bright red color.
It's important to keep it from fermenting. Opened ketchup shouldn't be allowed to sit in a very warm kitchen or in direct sunlight, as it sometimes will squirt out all over you or the kitchen when you take the cap off, and make a dreadful mess. It can be stored in a cool place (such as a pantry shelf away from a heat source like a stove) for about a month. Longer than that, it's best kept in the refrigerator. If the bottle hasn't been opened, it will keep for about a year in the pantry. Stored this way it should keep from fermenting and have a good flavor. If there is any sign that it has started to ferment, it should be thrown away.
