Equipment
Ingredients
Base Liquids and Paste
- 130 g tomato paste
- 60 ml water
- 45 ml apple cider vinegar
Aromatics and Spices
- 40 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 3 g garlic powder
- 3 g onion powder
- 2 g dry mustard powder
- 1 g cayenne pepper
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 39 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 158 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 194 mg
- Calcium
- 14 mg
- Iron
- 0.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 20 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 24 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 1 mcg
- Water
- 20 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the tomato paste, water, apple cider vinegar, and dark brown sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk vigorously until the liquids and paste form a smooth, uniform base.
Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard powder, cayenne pepper, fine sea salt, and black pepper to the saucepan. Stir thoroughly to distribute the dry spices evenly throughout the tomato mixture.
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reaching approximately 90 C or 195 F. Maintain this low heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching on the bottom.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. If using as a meatloaf glaze, apply immediately while hot. If serving as a dipping condiment, allow the sauce to cool to room temperature before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For a deeper, more complex aromatic profile, toast the dry spices in the dry saucepan over medium heat for 30 seconds before adding the wet ingredients.
- To adjust the consistency for use as a thinner dipping sauce or dressing base, whisk in an additional 30ml of water after the cooking process.
- Swapping brown sugar for dark maple syrup adds a distinct autumnal richness while maintaining the vegan integrity of the recipe.
- This sauce develops robust flavor over time. Making it a day ahead and storing it in the refrigerator allows the aromatics to fully permeate the tomato base.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Store in a sterilized, airtight glass jar.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in ice cube trays for easy single-serve portioning.
Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in 15-second intervals.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is too thin or watery
Cause: Did not simmer long enough to reduce the liquids, or heat was too low
Fix: Return to heat and simmer uncovered for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until desired consistency is reached
Prevention: Ensure the mixture maintains a steady bubble during the cooking phase
Sauce tastes bitter or scorched
Cause: Heat was too high causing the natural sugars and tomato paste to burn on the bottom of the pan
Fix: Cannot be fixed if heavily scorched. Do not scrape the bottom of the pan if transferring to a new vessel.
Prevention: Stir frequently and keep the heat at medium-low or low
Cultural Context
Tomato-based glazes have long been a cornerstone of North American comfort food, particularly intertwined with the history of baked meatloaf. Originating as a practical way to add moisture, balancing acidity, and visual appeal to ground meat dishes, these sweet and savory sauces evolved from simple ketchup applications into complex, heavily spiced scratch-made condiments.
