PREP: 30 minutes CHILL: overnight + 6 days COOK: 30 minutes STAND: 4 hours MAKES: 4 cups

Fermented Green Tomato Ketchup

What You’ll Need

2 lb. green (unripe) tomatoes, chopped (5 cups)

2 cups coarsely chopped onions

1 cup chopped fennel

½ cup loosely packed celery leaf sprigs

3 Tbsp. pickling salt

1 cup white vinegar

⅔ cup sugar

¼ cup snipped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. ground ginger

⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon

Dash ground cloves

½ cup liquid whey*

How to Make It

1. In a large nonreactive bowl combine the first five ingredients (through pickling salt). Cover and chill overnight.

2. Drain tomato mixture in a large colander. Rinse well with cool water to remove excess salt. Transfer tomato mixture to a 4-qt. stainless-steel, enamel, or nonstick pot. Stir in the next eight ingredients (through cloves). Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft and most of the liquid is evaporated. Cool slightly. Transfer mixture, half at a time, to a food processor. Cover and process until nearly smooth.

3. Divide ketchup between two sterilized quart canning jars. Cool to room temperature. Stir ¼ cup whey into each jar. Cover jars with paper towels and secure with a rubber band. Let ketchup stand at room temperature 4 hours. Chill 6 to 8 days or until bubbly before using. Store, covered, in the refrigerator up to 2 months.

*Test Kitchen Tip: For liquid whey, place 1½ cups plain yogurt (do not use Greek yogurt or yogurt that contains gelatin) in a fine-mesh sieve lined with 100%-cotton cheesecloth or a coffee filter. Place the sieve over a small bowl. Cover and chill 24 hours to drain. The liquid that collects in the bowl is whey. Save yogurt to serve as a dip or with desserts. (Or purchase liquid whey from a health foods store.)

PER 1 TBSP. KETCHUP: 16 cal., 0 g fat, 0 mg chol., 170 mg sodium, 4 g carb., 0 g fiber, 0 g pro.