39 replies to this topic

[Country]

Just to confirm that I wasn't loving all ketchup equally, I squeezed out a bit of Muir Glen organic ketchup, which was mealy, unbalanced, and lousy. Ended up in the trash.

Same thing happened with me when I bought a bottle of Muir Glen. That stuff is awful.

[MSRadell]

My wife has always been a Hunt's ketchup person but during their change away from corn syrup sugar it seems like it's gotten sweeter, something neither of us like. We tried some Heinz and it's not quite as sweet but it's still not what we're looking for. We've also tried some of the Whole Foods organic based on a friend's recommendation but we also don't like it. What other on the counter ketchups do you folks like? We really don't want to get into making our own, it just seems like more trouble than it's worth!

[cookman]

In the Spring 2011 issue of Entertaining/Cook's Illustrated (p.17), they have a sidebar where they discuss the results of a ketchup tasting. Of 8 brands tested, they recommended Heinz Organic and Hunt's, but declared Hunt's the winner...

[Toliver]

What other on the counter ketchups do you folks like? We really don't want to get into making our own, it just seems like more trouble than it's worth!

Have you tried Heinz's "Simply Heinz" Ketchup? It's a recipe that is made with sugar...no HFCS. The nutrition label says the measurement of sugar is the same (4 gr.) but you may find a taste difference.
I'd also suggest trying generic or store brand ketchup. My local Von's brand of ketchup is quite different than the name brand ketchups...you can really taste the spices in the ketchup. It's a refreshing change.

[threestars]

On my part of the world, I see many restaurants and even McDonalds use Heinz Ketchup. So I think I'd stick to that, doesn't really a big deal. They're both good. :)

[weinoo]

The other day I decided to go through my fridge and get rid of expired/unused condiments and whatever else might've been in there that was well past its "use by" date. There, sitting all nice and pretty, was literally 3/4 of a bottle of Heinz ketchup - with a "use by" date of 12/9/2009. Meaning I'd probably bought it sometime in 2008; 3 years ago!

So, obviously, I don't use the stuff much. Anyway. I replaced it with a bottle of Hunt's, and if I open it before it expires, I'll be interested to see how I like it.

[MSRadell]

We have continued experimenting with different ketchups to find the one we prefer. We tried one made by Tabasco which we thought would be quite good but instead found it to be quite vinegary and not at all appetizing. We've also tried Red Gold and really like it. It's got a very nice flavor with a good level of spice but not too much sweetness. I'm not sure how large the distribution area is for Red Gold, I know was produced in Indiana and we get a lot of their tomato products all of which are quite good. If you see it in your area it's certainly worth a try!

[toolprincess]

After a self-imposed egullet exile (wedding planning, graduate class, work = time contraints galore) -- I'm back in the mix. I did try Hunt's this summer and although I don't dislike it I do think I prefer the tang of Heinz.

[threestars]

Bought a bottle of Hunts last week and tested it and I admit that I like it. Been using Heinz for many years and I think I still want to stick with Heinz. :)

[GlowingGhoul]

I dislike the sweetness of most ketchup, but Heinz "Reduced Sugar" tastes great to me. Much more tomato and vinegar flavor, and far less sweetness. It's 1g sugar vs 4g.

No HFCS, no added sugar, but they do use a small amount of sucralose.

They originally sold this as "Onc Carb" and "Low Carb" ketchup.