Heinz Organic Tomato Ketchup - better than the original

[rworange]

It is the miracle. The only product that has bested its original version.

Nobody’s pulled this off, not Coke, not anyone.

I wanted to pull this out of a different post because this product is so mind-blowing amazing. Chris VR wrote in this post of the Canadian version of Heinz Ketchup ...

“I recently tasted the Canadian version and it's like drinking Coke with cane sugar- it's a taste I remember from my childhood but forgot I wasn't tasting any more.”

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/307567#1734047

Yeah, that’s it ... only for the first time in my life, something was BETTER than the memory.

Really, I’m not one to fool with my ketchup. I’ll tolerate fancy, fresh from the garden ketchup from fancy restaurants ... but it is not ... Heinz.

Looking to see if I could cut and paste the ingrediants (amazing) I came across this guy who had the same reaction. He said “Heinz Tomato Ketchup is good. But their Organic version definitely tastes better. Much more tomatoey whilst still being distinctly recognisable as Heinz”

http://www.firstscience.com/SITE/editor/080_ramblings_26112004.asp

Yeah.

Heinz doesn’t list the ingrediants on the site ... they should ... proudly.

Organic tomato concentrate made from red ripe organic tomatoes, organic distilled vinegar, organic sugar, salt, organic onion powder, organic spices, natural flavoring.

They do say

"Heinz Organic Ketchup is produced at Heinz's Leamington, Canada facility, using red-ripened tomatoes from the company's organic tomato fields in Escalon, California."

http://www.heinz.com/World.aspx#hor

For those of you in the SF Bay area, it is in the organic section of Raley’s market - $2.29 ... I’d pay five bucks for it and not blink.

Thanks Chris VR. Your description gave me the incentive to give this a try.

[lawgirl3278]

I agree 100%. Trader Joe's is also good.

[librarianjen]

My husband is a supertaster, and he was very excited to do a blind taste test between our usual big regular bottle of Heinz, and the organic. I was surprised - he couldn't tell the difference. Neither could I. What a bummer! I was hoping it would be akin to regular Coke vs. the sugar Mexican coke we now get.

[dietndesire]

Anyone trying various brands of these ketchups with better ingredients know which is not too sweet or is it merely the corn syrup that makes standard US ketchups nasty?

[rworange]

Mainly the HFCS. Had a cheapo brand in Guatemala. It uses sugar and tastes better than regular Heinz

[dietndesire]

I was assuming the syrup was the most blatant factor but have not gone about testing various brands.
It is always very annoying to me when I would like a bit of ketchup on whatever type of food while at a restaurant but I know it is commercial and so sickeningly sweet that it does more damage than good.
Thanks for the response.

[Kelli2006]

I recently bough the Heinz organic because I didn't want to make the 90 minute trip to the closest Whole Foods, but the ketchup definitely isn't as good as WF's 356 product, but its also more expensive. The WF product is quite a bit thicker and it has a higher proportion of vinegar and spice then the mass market Heinz organic product.

[rworange]

Yes, but for anyone who likes the Heinz taste, different spicing is not a good thing

[MsDiPesto]

My fave ketchup. Reminds me of the ketchup of my youth, lacks that HFCS cloying "bite". The Trader Joe's has too many cloves for me to want to finish a bottle.

[ChristinaMason]

Back in the States, I used to buy Nature's Promise organic ketchup, which has sugar instead of HFCS. It was good and I never missed regular Heinz, but I've never tried Heinz Organic.

Here in Germany, I think Heinz is made with sugar. So is Coke.

[buttertart]

P.S. when buying canned tomatoes, check to see if country of origin is Canada. Some damn fine tomatoes are grown in my home and native land. I recently saw that at least some of the Luigi Vitelli brand was of Canadian origin and the tomatoes are very good.

[ML8000]

FYI: as reported on the SF board, you can get two 32 oz bottles of organic Heinz for $6 bucks at Grocery Outlet in the Bay Area.

[jibu]

I'm pretty sure that the Organic recipe IS the "original" recipe for Heinz Ketchup. That's probably one of the reasons that it tastes better than what passes for today's "Regular" Heinz Ketchup recipe.

When you buy a bottle of regular Heinz Ketchup these days, you can plainly see on the label that High Fructose Corn Syrup is one of the main ingredients. Heinz wouldn't have used High Fructose Corn Syrup before 1970. In other words.... What we think of as the "regular" recipe for Heinz Ketchup is not by any means the "original" Heinz recipe. If anything, real sugar would have been in the original recipe before 1970. And that's exactly what they've done with the Organic recipe.

So, essentially what Heinz must have done is unearthed the real "original" recipe (without the High Fructose Corn Syrup) and replaced it with Organic ingredients. No wonder it tastes better than the modern "regular" Heinz Ketchup!

[idave321]

There are quite a few types .... but understand that taste varies based on the paste used to make it. The finest paste is from Leamington, ON Canada. Its used to make all of Canada's ketchup and roughly 25% of US supply ... mainly found in the northern US states. The ketchup made for the Canadian market differs from the US recipe with about 25% less sugar and salt, as well it uses liquid invert sugar rather than the HFCS used for the US. Organic is made to a Canadian standard as far as sugar and salt levels are concerned, and the sugar is organic evaporated cane juice. US ketchup for the mid/southern states is made with California paste, HFCS and the high salt/sugar levels.

[Jack Flash]

Heinz today is also much thinner than it used to be. Remember the "anticipation" commercials? I can recall waiting forever for that stuff to come out of the bottle, but now it practically flows like water.

[Jack Flash]

In my childhood (70s-80s), Heinz was made with sugar, not HFCS. I recently tried the organic and found that it is much more like the ketchup from my youth...no doubt because of the cane sugar.

[Hapa Dude]

Cook's Illustrated did a comparo on ketchups, and I think the Hunt's won that one.

The SF Chronicle did a taste test on organic ketchups, and voted Muir Glen and TJ's as the highest, with Heinz Organic coming in #5 of 7. I have not tasted any organic ketchups yet but if you guys are raving about the Heinz O, I wonder how the other ones are. Can anyone comment on other brands of organic ketchup?

Taste test:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article...

[Caitlin McGrath]

I'm not sure I'd put much stock in the SF Chronicle's taste test if you're a die-hard Heinz fan in the first place, since they included two non-organic ketchups in this taste test, and while they gave Heinz organic a score of 52 points (out of a possible 100), they gave regular Heinz 37.

If it's about finding the best ketchup to your taste, taste widely and see what you like. If you want an organic, a HFCS-free, or a perhaps better-tasting alternative to regular Heinz with a similar flavor profile, here you have it.

[ML8000]

Indeed, the food/taste comparos in the Chron are often off or odd. At least that's been my experience. It's still good info and often you'll find out about something you never heard of before...but always go w/ you gut.

BTW, I'm going to compare Heinz Organic vs. TJ Orgranic w/ fries later on.

[rworange]

I was thinking that. I rarely agree with the Chron taste tests. In this case their description of Heinz Organic was nothing like the taste. The Chron calls it ...

""sweet, not very complex," with a "grainy texture" and "caramel finish."

Yeah ... none of those things.

I was going to pick up a bottle of the organic Muir Glen just to see ... the one the Chron says everyone sells ... Raley's doesn't sell it.

I'm kind of glad though. I'm not a fan of Muir Glen products, in general. However, if I see it sometime, I'll give it a try. The unused banana catsup in my fridge is getting lonely and could use company.

Someone earlier guessed that the TJ organic brand might be Heinz. That would be pretty funny if that was the case.

One other thing. In my taste test, the Hunts catsup was looking really good. In fact, side by side, the Heinz seemed a little less vibrant.

However, in the long run ... with each on their own, I scrarfed down the Heinz and the Hunts is still in my fridge with only about a third of the bottle used.

[ML8000]

Agree about the Muir Glen products. I think I bought their canned tomatoes and something was off...too sweet. Hate to say it but I think of hippies in the mountains with canning equipment when I have Muir Glen stuff...and I'm not opposed to hippies in mountains with canning equipment...as long as it's good.

Any way, I did the test of Heinz organic vs. TJ's organic. They're not the same from eye-balling it. Heinz is smoother and brigher, TJ's darker. Both are obvious improvements over regular mass produced stuff but beyond that...it's ketchup.

Maybe it was because I didn't do the cleansing crackers or water routine, but then I was thinking...either would be good and big improvements over regular stuff, I don't need to know more then that.

[brownie]

I was just discussing ketchup over lunch and saying how i was convinced i'd have to allow just that much HFCS in my diet b/c Heinz is just simply the best. But to hear that their organic is just as good if not better?! Oh thank you for posting!! This makes my day. Hey, there's still a good month of grilling left this summer...

[daawgon]

I have this HUGE 64oz bottle of regular Heinz Ketchup, and now that I've given up HFCS, I have to trash it. I'm going on the Organic as soon as I go to the store (no HFCS). I tried the Tabasco Hot Catsup and it's terrible!

By the way, HFCS ain't that great for ya!

[Jefferson]

> I have to trash it

As long as food hasn't gone bad, you can almost always find a taker. Our office refrigerator is full of such "donations." ;-)

[fascfoo]

If you are having trouble finding this ketchup locally, Amazon.com will ship it nationwide.

http://www.amazon.com/Heinz-Organic-K...

[mrsry]

I've been using this for at least two years now, and won't go back to anything else. I love the texture as well as the taste! I haven't had any trouble finding it at mainstream supermarkets, in the regular condiments aisle.

[Jefferson]

Trader Joe's Organic Ketchup got a good review from my Heinz-loving Mom. Wonder whether it's Heinz under the label?

[ML8000]

You need to do a blind taste test.

[Fleur]

Where can you get this Ketchup in NY?

I have also seen Low Carb Sugar Free Heinz Ketchup advertised, but have never seen it on the shelves. Any suggestions?

[Caitlin McGrath]

Gristede's carries Heinz organic.

[Fleur]

Thanks Caitlin. I also found it today (and much cheaper) at Garden of Eden. I wonder if Fairway has it. I still haven't found the Low Sugar Heinz.

[idave321]

just so you know, One Carb ketchup and the Reduced Sugar ketchup are identical ... same recipe different labels.

[Elizzie]

I don't even like ketchup and I like this stuff. I was amazed when I found it in the store here in CT.

[tamasha]

third! third!

[rworange]

I polished off the bottle a few weeks ago and I've been going through a bottle of Hunt's that I bought for comparison.

Halfway through the Hunt's bottle, I think about the Heinz Organic with each bite. The Heinz I could eat on its own. The Hunts needs food and even then, I don't use as much as that Heinz.

[cooknKate]

I second that emotion

[bryan]

I couldn't agree more. It's an amazing ketchup. The only one I buy now.