Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup

Aldi is one of the best places to buy condiments at affordable prices. Whether you’re in need of ketchup, mustard (standard or specialty), mayonnaise, or relish, Aldi stocks what you need to make the perfect burger, sandwich, or hot dog.

If you want ketchup for a burger or simply to dip your French fries in, Aldi sells several types. They offer a standard ketchup under their Burman’s private label that primarily encompasses condiments, and it is cheap but contains high fructose corn syrup. If you want to avoid high fructose corn syrup, for several years I’ve purchased the other ketchup option available at Aldi: Simply Nature Organic Tomato Ketchup, which uses sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. The Simply Nature private label product line at Aldi encompasses mostly organic or health-conscious foods.

During a recent Aldi shopping run, I noticed another ketchup option on the shelves. The new ketchup, Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup, advertises in fairly large font on the front of the bottle that it contains no high fructose corn syrup. I thought it was an interesting move on Aldi’s part to sell two different types of ketchup sweetened with sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, so I bought a bottle of the new ketchup to try it out and see how it compares. Interestingly, the new ketchup was labeled “sugar ketchup” on my Aldi receipt.

Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup cost $1.49 for a 20-ounce bottle at the time of publication. That’s the same price and size as Aldi Simply Nature Organic Tomato Ketchup, which also contains no high fructose corn syrup.

This Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup is stocked with Regular Buy condiments, but the Aldi website indicates it’s a seasonal item that may only be in stores during the warmer months.

Similar to the Aldi organic ketchup sweetened only with sugar, this Burman’s ketchup advertises no artificial flavors or preservatives. It also advertises it contains no synthetic colors, which is in keeping with Aldi’s commitment several years ago to eliminate artificial colors from all of its house brand products. The bottle also advertises “Simple ingredients. Big taste.” The bottle recommends refrigerating this ketchup after opening it to maintain freshness.

Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

Simply Nature Organic Tomato Ketchup nutrition information and ingredients, for comparison. (Click to enlarge.)

Ingredients for Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup are tomato concentrate, sugar, distilled vinegar, salt, and less than 2% of onion powder, spices, and natural flavors. It would be nice if Aldi were more specific about what “spices” go into this ketchup, and natural flavors are not as natural as they sound.

For comparison, ingredients for Simply Nature Organic Tomato Ketchup are organic tomato puree (water, tomato paste), organic sugar, organic distilled vinegar, salt, organic onion powder, and organic spices. Again, those mysterious “spices.”

The nutrition panels for the two types of ketchup are similar. The Burman’s ketchup contains slightly less sodium and carbs, but the difference is pretty negligible.

Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup has 20 calories per 1-tablespoon serving, along with no fat, 160 mg of sodium (7% DV), 4 grams of total carbohydrates (2% DV), 4 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of added sugars (8% DV).

Meanwhile, Simply Nature Organic Tomato Ketchup also has 20 calories per 1-tablespoon serving, along with no fat, 200 mg of sodium (9% DV), 5 grams of total carbohydrates (2% DV), 4 grams of total sugars, and 4 grams of added sugars (8% DV).

So, nutritionally, these two ketchups are pretty similar, with the only major difference being that the older Simply Nature ketchup is organic while the newer Burman ketchup is not organic.

But how about taste? My family tasted both of the Aldi no-high fructose corn syrup ketchups side by side. Tasting both ketchups plain, without dipping anything in them, I thought the Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup had a slightly sweeter flavor (even though sugar content is identical). When we dipped tator tots in the two ketchups, we really couldn’t tell a difference. Both ketchups are good, and we’d happily eat either one. Which one you like best depends on whether you prefer organic or not.

The only downside is that this Burman’s ketchup and its Simply Nature counterpart only come in 20-ounce bottles while traditional Aldi Burman’s Tomato Ketchup (which has high fructose corn syrup) comes in a larger bottle. So if you prefer sugar-sweetened ketchup rather than high fructose corn syrup-sweetened ketchup at Aldi, you have to settle for buying smaller bottles more frequently.

The Verdict:

Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup is practically identical to an organic ketchup Aldi sells. Although the Burman’s ketchup is not organic, both are sweetened with sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. The Burman’s Simply Tomato Ketchup has a slightly sweeter flavor compared to Aldi organic ketchup but is otherwise just fine. Which ketchup you prefer depends on how important organic ingredients are to you. Also keep in mind the Simply Tomato Ketchup may be a seasonal item only available during the warmer months.