In the age of social media, you can learn all kinds of recipes, such as a homemade-tasting cake recipe using Betty Crocker mix or Chipotle sour cream and In-N-Out burgers. Wallet watchers are also opting to make their favorite sauces and condiments at home due to the cost of name-brand products at the grocery store. And some of them are surprisingly ridiculously simple.
TikTok user Danielle (@danyella422_official) said in viral TikTok that she saw the cost of ketchup at the grocery store. That prompted her to try her hand at making it at home, using ingredients many people already have in their pantries. She shared her homemade ketchup recipe with her 120,000 followers. And the demonstration already has 3.1 million views.
“Making a ketchup because a can of tomato paste was $.78 vs, ketchup for $5.69,” her text overlay reads.
The recipe
The content creator scoops tomato paste from a 12-ounce can into a pot. Then, Danielle adds half a cup of water, 1 cup of white distilled vinegar, and half a cup of honey. Next, she adds 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1-and-a-half teaspoons of salt, half a teaspoon of onion powder, and one-fourth teaspoon of garlic powder.
She mixes the ingredients together in the pot and sets it on medium heat until it boils. Once the ketchup starts boiling, she allows it to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. When the 20 minutes are up, Danielle takes it off the heat and covers it with a lid until it completely cools down. Then, she dumps the contents in a funnel connected to a mason jar, which can be stored in a fridge.
“I find it so rewarding to cook for my family and friends. I try to make anything I can homemade. I can also be very frugal, so if it’s cheaper for me to make it at home vs. buy it already made, I’m gonna find time to make it. I keep a well stocked pantry, so I usually have what I need at home,” Danielle told the Daily Dot via TikTok direct message.
Danielle said her upbringing taught her how to make staples like ketchup.
“Growing up my parents always kept a garden. I grew up helping my mom make ketchup, salsa, etc. It’s been trial and error. But you can add or omit anything really to your liking,” she said.
Viewers criticized Danielle’s addition of honey, writing comments like this: “1/2 a cup of honey is more expensive than 3 bottles of ketchup.” They claimed that the addition makes store-bought ketchup more affordable, as honey is known to be pricey.
You don’t have to use honey
Danielle responded to the criticism.
“People have asked about the honey and how that makes this recipe cost efficient. You can omit the honey, I added it to mine because it adds the sweetness with a more refined sugar balancing out the tartness of the vinegar,” the content creator told the Daily Dot.
Danielle also said that the recipe will only last for about 10 days in the fridge since “this recipe lacks preservatives that are in store bought.”
However, she added that “anyone can make this, it takes less than 30 mins!”
Viewers appreciated the lack of preservatives in the homemade version. “Bet that is way healthier than the store ones with all the preservatives,” one said.
“No chemicals in the home made,” another stated.
However, others are sticking to store-bought, citing the cost of the ingredients. And one viewer shared their even more affordable hack to getting ketchup. “I just keep all the packs from restaurants,” they shared.
Homemade ketchup vs. store-bought: which is cheaper?
If you have most or all the ingredients at home, it is cheaper to make your own ketchup. But if you don’t, it will initially cost more. After all, a 12 oz bottle of Great Value honey from Walmart is nearly $4. But like Danielle said, you don’t have to use honey.
In addition, it takes more effort and time to make your own ketchup.
But, ultimately, homemade ketchup is the healthier option, and it gives you more bang for your buck in the long run.
@danyella422_official This is the best ketchup! If you keep a well maintained pantry you should have everything at home! Enjoy! #easyrecipe #tutorials #quickrecipes #homemade #ketchup ♬ I Like It, I Love It – Tim McGraw
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