Knowledge Base > Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)
Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)
This event was on
Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 2:00 pm Pacific, 2:00 pm Eastern
Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to cou… Read More.
Question:
Can you talk about ketchup and sodium levels? Any suggestions for alternatives?
Answer:
I did wanna say one thing that a lot of people seem to like ketchup a lot, and ketchup is a very high sodium food for its little quantity. Maybe there's 160 milligrams of sodium in a teaspoon. So a better way to make that is I have here, I had a leftover jam and I put in an equal amount of tomato paste. This is new glen. It has 25 milligrams of sodium in it. And what happens is that you mix the two together, equal amounts of each. I like to add a little garlic powder and a little bit of vinegar, and it makes a really beautiful, whoops, a really beautiful ketchup for you to serve. And there you have it. So if you're looking for a delicious ketchup, there's a way to go. And if you're looking to cut back on your sodium, also using, uh, a ketchup that you would make yourself. One more thing about ketchup. Um, most ketchups, most commercial ketchups, uh, will have high fructose corn syrup. Although I do notice that the popular American brand Heinz now makes a no sugar added. However, it still has salt in it. So try making your own. It's delicious, it's fun. You've got a leftover jar of fruit conserve, you don't know what to do with it. Bingo, bango, a little tomato paste, some garlic powder, little drop of vinegar, whip, whip, whip, taste, taste, taste. And then instead of relying on a recipe, rely on your own flavor response because that's how you develop, uh, even better cooking skills in the kitchen. So if you asked me for a, a recipe for this, I would probably say, I don't know, just taste good, but equal amounts of each. And then maybe a teaspoon of your favorite kind of vinegar and garlic powder, and I would say about a quarter of a teaspoon, but to your taste. And, um, you know, it'll last for up to five days in your refrigerator, make it in small amounts. And so you've got a delicious dish here, but it doesn't offend your home, your body's homeostasis with so much added salt to it.