homemade ketchup

Make your own homemade ketchup that positively bursts with flavor, thanks to the addition of onions, chili powder, and fresh parsley.

Creating your own condiments is easier than you think.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Slathering on condiments like ketchup, mustard, and mayo just makes sandwiches, hot dogs, or hamburgers better—period. But there’s no reason you have to rely on store-bought versions that contain all kinds of additives, saturated fat, and excess sugar. Not when it’s so easy to make these condiments yourself using fresh, all-natural ingredients.

Let’s take ketchup, for example. You can jazz up your homemade ketchup with onion, chili powder, and fresh parsley—and you not only get a flavor that beats anything on the supermarket shelf, you'll benefit from a concentrated dose of lycopene, courtesy of the tomatoes. (Our bodies actually absorb this antioxidant better when the tomatoes are cooked, as they are in ketchup.) Lycopene can decrease your risk of several types of cancers as well as heart disease. The antioxidant also helps eliminate skin-damaging free radicals caused by ultraviolet rays.

And it's not just homemade ketchup that pays off with superior flavor and nutrtion. Both smooth, yellow mustard and the grainy, spicier version are full of flavor and offer several health benefits, thanks to their key ingredient: mustard seeds. And when you spread your own mustard on that yummy sandwich, you’ll be bolstering your intake of magnesium, selenium, tryptophan, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which help with brain, muscle, and nerve function.

You can also whip up your favorite creamy mayonnaise spread using heart-healthy olive oil, a huge improvement on the saturated fat you normally get in store-bought mayo. To make your own, combine in a large bowl 2 large eggs, the juice of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. With a handheld blender, process the mixture until smooth, then add 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil very gradually in a thin stream, blending constantly. Adjust the seasonings to taste, and it’ll be fine in the fridge for up to one week.