Balsamic Beet Ketchup

Sweet delicious beets are one of my favorite root vegetables! If you dislike beets, I promise this Balsamic Beet Ketchup will change your mind. It’s the perfect sweet & savory condiment that is a fun stand in when you want something a little more exciting than traditional tomato ketchup.

Tomato Free Ketchup

Yes! You read that right! This Beet Balsamic Ketchup is completely tomato free! So if you’re allergic to tomatoes, or just really don’t like them this ketchup may be your new go to condiment. The balsamic vinegar is what gives this ketchup a little acid and gives it that addictive quality. It also cooks quickly since you don’t have to cook down tomatoes. You do need to cook the beets ahead of time, so do keep that in mind when making this recipe

Beets Are The Perfect Condiment

This recipe was originally developed alongside a recipe for zucchini fries! I really wanted to stray away from serving them with marinara. I was nervous about using balsamic, since my significant other hates vinegar! Still, I tested it out for a date night and he LOVED it! Honestly, I was shocked at how good it was too! Even still, I needed a second opinion. So upon a visit to my parents, I decided to make the Balsamic Beet Ketchup for them with zucchini fries. The Balsamic Beet Ketchup was a huge hit again. It’s great with zucchini fries, sweet potato fries, a turkey meat loaf, and so many other things. The beets are sweet, but still earthy so it’s great with foods that pair well with earthy flavors.

Check Your Beets For Sweetness

Different variety of beets have different levels of sweetness. Any beets will work, but red beets especially if they’re baby beets are best here. Baby beets are sweeter than the larger beets you see in the store. Baby beets help cut down on the amount of sugar used in this recipe. So if you use large beets, you may need to increase the amount of brown sugar. I recommend tasting the beets before you add them to the recipe and tasting again, once the ketchup has cooked and thickened.

Fresh or Pre-cooked beets?

In order to make this Balsamic Beet Ketchup, you need to start with steamed or boiled beets. You can grab a bundle of beets and steam them yourself, or buy some cooked and ready to eat. I’ve done both methods and I enjoy both. Electric pressure cookers make steaming beets such a breeze I don’t mind it at all. My go to for pre-cooked are Love Beets. I can find them at most stores in my area and they’re just easy. I found the standard package of precooked beets is about 8oz. The recipe calls for 1 medium or 3 small-baby beets which is roughly 4-6 ounces. If you deiced to go the precooked route then half the packaged amount works great!

Make a little or a lot!

This recipe yields about 1 cup of ketchup. Which is great if you want just enough for a week or so or if you are serving it for a small group. What I also love is that the recipe can be easily doubled and more. If you’re looking to make a huge batch it can easily be done! No matter how much you decide to make, just beware! This can get messy. Keep a lid on the pot to minimize splatter. Don’t wear clothes you love and wear an apron! Also, pay attention! You don’t want this to bubble over so keep an eye on the heat. All warnings aside, I hope you make my Balsamic Beet Ketchup! You’ll be surprised at how good it is! Comment below and let me know what you think!

Balsamic Beet Ketchup

Sweet Earthy Beets paired with balsamic vinegar creates an addicting homemade ketchup.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Condiment, Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

  

• 1 medium beet or 3 small/baby beets (about 4-6 oz total) steamed, peeled & cooled
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Garlic power
• 1/2 tsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
• 1/8 cup brown sugar more if you want it sweeter

Instructions

 

Blend & Cook

• Add all ingredients, except the brown sugar, into a blender.
• Blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Mixture should be mostly smooth. Transfer ketchup to a small sauce pot and stir in brown sugar.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Do not walk away or leave unattended!
• Once ketchup comes to a boil, give it a good stir and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir every 5-8 minutes. Watch carefully! If it starts to bubble over lower heat.
• After 30 minutes, ketchup should have thickened, darken in color,and reduced by at least 1/3. It should look very similar to ketchup!
• Carefully taste ketchup and adjust sweetness and seasoning if needed.
• Let cool for at least 30 minutes. Transfer ketchup into a container or jar and then place in the fridge to cool completely.
• Let cool in fridge at least 1-2 hours before serving for best flavor!
• Serve with fries & enjoy!

Notes

Color of ketchup will vary.

Balsamic Beet Ketchup will keep for at least 3 weeks in the fridge!

Chill time is very important! The flavor really shines once the ketchup has time to cool so we recommend to always serve it chilled!

Canned beets will work well here too! Just be sure they aren’t pickled beets! A standard can of beets is about 14.5 ounces, so for this recipe about half the can should work! Or if you’re like me just double the recipe and use the whole can! 

 

 

Keyword balsamic, beet, ketchup