Healthy (Paleo) Da Bomb Ketchup is the bomb!  Back in the ’90s, I was immersed in the food and wine world. In my food and wine columns and cookbooks, I wrote a lot about umami as the 5^th taste sensation and its importance in our recipes.  Umami adds roundness and depth of flavor to many dishes.  It is glutamic acid — glutamate.  Umami is the Japanese word for yummy or delicious (umai).

Some foods naturally possess glutamate (umami), such as ripe tomatoes, asparagus, and raw potatoes.  These foods have simplistic umami.  The addition of the slow cooking, and/or aging process, and/or through fermentation can dramatically increase the level of umami in food.  Raw potatoes possess simplistic umami.  The moment they are cooked, this umami moves to synergistic.  That’s why cooked potatoes in various forms are comfort food.  Mashed potatoes and French fries are high in umami.  We are addicted to them.  Raw asparagus taste okay.  Once steamed, however, and asparagus become yummy!

The umami in cheese or beef is increased through the aging process.  The umami in aged cheese or beef is synergistic.  Broccoli soup is palatable.  But when you add aged cheese to this soup, its flavor is increased.  The soup gains roundness and depth of flavor from the umami in the cheese.  You can intensify the umami in broccoli soup with vegan Parmesan, as well.  Vegan Parmesan contains nutritional yeast high in simplistic umami.

Soy sauce, high in synergistic umami, is made from fermented soybeans.  Asian recipes use soy sauce, and it is a “must-have” condiment for Asian people.  In North America, we are also now addicted to soy sauce.

North Americans also have another addictive condiment high in umami – ketchup!

Ketchup is made from slow-roasted (creates synergistic) tomatoes (simplistic).  As mentioned above fresh, ripe tomatoes have simplistic umami.  Add the slow roasting process and that umami becomes synergistic.

North American tomato sauce contains sugar (and other added spices), which is not Paleo-compliant.  This is why we must make homemade ketchup from scratch to eat as a condiment or to add to recipes.

You could say that this ketchup recipe is an umami bomb!  It is jam-packed with umami ingredients and processes.  This ketchup contains tomato paste (synergistic umami from slow cooking), coconut aminos (synergistic umami from fermentation), nutritional yeast (simplistic umami, its natural glutamate)!  Add to this that the tomato paste has been slow-cooked twice.

In the making of tomato paste, fresh tomatoes are cooked for several hours to reduce their water content.  The sauce is strained to remove the seeds and skin and then cooked again to reduce the sauce to a thick rich concentrate.  All this slow-cooking increases the umami in the resulting tomato paste.

Coconut Aminos offers synergistic umami, due to the fermentation process.  This sauce is also gluten-free, non-GMO, soy-free, MSG-free, kosher, Paleo-friendly, compliant.

Nutritional yeast possesses natural glutamate (simplistic umami).

So while this ketchup recipe may not taste like commercial sold ketchup, it is still delicious and an umami bomb!

WHAT IS THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF TOMATOES? 

What is the nutritional value of this Healthy (Paleo) Da Bomb Ketchup?  Tomato paste offers all the same health benefits of tomatoes.  Choose a brand low in sodium, such as “Hunts.”  One study found lycopene levels from ingesting tomato paste were 2.5 times higher than eating raw tomatoes!  Lycopene:

Supports a healthy immune system

• Is high in antioxidants
• Can help prevent cancer
• Promote good eye health
• Helps to prevent heart disease
• Helps to relieve neuropathic pain
• Helps to control bad cholesterol
• Helps with brain cognition

WHAT IS THE TASTE PROFILE OF HEALTHY (PALEO) DA BOMB KETCHUP?

This Healthy (Paleo) Da Bomb Ketchup tastes super-rich with lots of flavor explosions going on – some heat, cinnamon spice, rich sweet tomato, and a slight tang.

WHAT WINE HARMONIZES WITH HEALTHY (PALEO) DA BOMB KETCHUP?

This Healthy (Paleo) Da Bomb Ketchup is well-balanced in its partnership between tangy, sweet, spicy, salty.  When added to recipes, this ketchup will bring a sweetness to the end result.  For this reason you need a wine with a hint of sweetness, such as off-dry Riesling or off-dry Gewurztraminer or an off-dry rose.

WHAT OTHER HEALTHY (PALEO) RECIPES CAN I ENJOY?

Health (Paleo) Bacon Wrapped Dates

Healthy (Paleo) Meatloaf Santa Fe

Healthy (Paleo) Mom’s Homemade Carrot Cake

Healthy (Paleo) Bacon Wrapped Banana

Healthy (Paleo) Heart of Palm Mango Lime Salad

WHAT IS SHARI MAC’S PRODUCT RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR PALEO DIET?

I cannot tell you how awesome this product is!  I use my Instant Pot all the time.  Beats a crock pot any day.  This particular one has 11 different settings to air fry, roast, bake, dehydrate, pressure cook, slow cook, rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, sauté pan, yogurt maker, sterilizer and food warmer.  Can you believe you can use this as an air fryer!  OMG!  Cook fast or slow.  I love making pulled pork in my Instant Pot.  It’s so juicy and tender and falls apart at your finger tips.  I stand behind this product 100%.  Check it out.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF LYCOPENE?

HOW DO YOU PREPARE HEALTHY (PALEO) DA BOMB KETCHUP?

Measure all ingredients for your Paleo Da Bomb Ketchup

Place all ketchup ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

Transfer ketchup to a pot. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes or so.

Transfer ketchup to sterilized glass jar(s). Let cool. Refrigerate until needed.

 

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