Organic Tomato Ketchup:- Did you know its uses and health benefits?

There probably would be no kitchen around the world that does not have some tomato ketchup. Whether it is your favourite potato samosas or bhajiyas, fried chicken, or noodles, tomato ketchup occupies a crucial part of our diet. In fact, it would be safe to say, many of us have tomato ketchup at least once a week. One thing to note though, we are talking about tomato ketchup and not tomato sauce. Though they seem the same, they aren’t.

Difference between tomato ketchup and tomato sauce: 

The word ‘sauce’ is derived from the Latin word ‘salsa’ which means ‘salted'. Ketchup comes from the Chinese ‘koechiap’ which stands for ‘brine of fish’. Ketchup was first introduced to Europe as an exotic condiment. From there, it spread throughout the world where it has various other uses.

Ingredients in ketchup consist of tomatoes, sugar, vinegar/acetic acid, and spices. This is generally served cold or at room temperature. Tomato sauce, on the other hand, is a broth consisting of tomatoes, oil, meat or vegetable stock, spices, and meat. It does not include vinegar or sugar. Tomato sauce does not consist of spices, as against the small quantities of garlic and other spices used in tomato ketchup. 

Though tomato ketchup is essentially a sauce, it is fundamentally different from what professionals call tomato sauce.

Health benefits of tomato ketchup

Though we usually think of tomato ketchup as a uniform tasting dip, this humble accompaniment actually comes power-packed with a host of health benefits.

• It reduces Cholesterol

A study conducted in Finland has shown how ketchup cuts low-density lipoprotein, or what we refer to as ‘bad cholesterol’. If we do not have more ketchup than what is socially acceptable, ketchup can actually help you lower your bad cholesterol levels by six to thirteen percent.

• It improves eyesight

Tomato ketchup is rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin A, nutrients key for a healthy vision. Along with this, tomato ketchup also helps to boost the immune system.

• It helps enhance the taste of food

Though tomato ketchup is high in sugar and salt, it helps enhance the taste of every dish. Being high in sugar and salt does not mean it is unhealthy, as we have small servings of this anyway. 

In fact, many athletes use ketchup to boost the taste of their food they otherwise may not like.

General (and bizarre) uses of tomato ketchup

Here are some of the various ways you can use tomato ketchup in cooking and otherwise unthinkable ways.

• As a salad dressing- Professional chefs use tomato ketchup in salads as a dressing. This includes Russian salad, Thousand Island salad, and so on. 

• Sweet and Sour Sauces- Many sweet and sour recipes use ketchup as a crucial ingredient. These sauces are used to make amazing sweet and sour chicken or paneer dishes.

• Home-made barbeque sauce- Originating in the United States, barbeque sauce is a marinade for meat using tomato ketchup as a crucial ingredient. This sauce is cooked at low heat to enhance the taste of all its ingredients.

And now, the unconventional uses of tomato ketchup:

• Using it as a cleaning agent- As tomato ketchup is acidic, it can help keep your copper and silverware clean, instead of using a chemical cleaner. You can put all your silverware in a dish-full of tomato ketchup, and let it sit for 10 minutes. When done, you can rinse and polish them for a clean look!

• Cleaning cast-iron pots and pans- Cast Iron pots and pans are infamous for being hard to clean. You can remove the rust from them by simply covering them with ketchup and letting them rest for about 15 minutes. Later, you can scrub this with a wire brush. Tomato ketchup helps to dissolve the rust with the help of its acidic properties.

• Reuse the bottle- Our mothers have surely done this. After the ketchup is over, the bottle/dispenser can be cleaned and used to store something else. Generally, our mothers save the bottle and refill it with home-made sauces or find another use for the bottles.

• Wash your dog with ketchup- Dogs can sometimes reek of poop and dirt. To keep your dog clean you can give your dog a ketchup wash. Massage the ketchup in their fur, wait for half an hour and wash them as you usually would. Your dog will surely smell fresh after this.

Conclusion
Who knew the humble tomato ketchup had so many uses! Though we generally take our tomato ketchup for granted, it has many health benefits and other unconventional uses too. Currently, there are many brands of tomato ketchup available in the market. To cut corners, some ketchup brands come added with potentially harmful additives and chemicals to boost the taste, colour, and viscosity. To remain completely healthy and free from chemical additives in your tomato ketchup, you can go for Organic Tomato Ketchup which is healthy and free from adulterants.