Have you read the ingredients on store-bought BBQ Sauce? It is at least half sugar and it is refined sugar!
Back when I didn’t know better, I would let my son use BBQ Sauce on everything as a way to entice him to eat.
This very easily made BBQ Sauce is four times less sugar and it is refined sugar-free. There is also an option to add some chilli powder to make it even more flavoursome.
So, next time you are having guests for a BBQ, impress them with this tasty and more nutritious version of this must-have condiment.
Cooking Tips
I have used repurposed tamari sauce bottles that were thoroughly washed then rinsed with boiling water before bottling the sauce.
When I bottled the sauce I had to be careful that the sudden change in temperature of the air in the bottle didn’t cause the sauce to spit out as I was pouring in. That is why I have recommended letting the mixture cool a bit before bottling. A jar works just as well and the spitting won’t be a problem because the mouth of the jar is large enough to let the expanded air escape.
In fact, if you use a wide mouth jar rinsed with boiling water, carefully pour in the sauce straight from the stove and seal straight away, the sauce will last longer in the fridge. This is because the jars have been sterilized and sealed before any bacteria can get in.
Also, vinegar is a natural preserving agent. Foods that have a pH value of less than 4.6 will not support the growth of disease-causing bacteria. When I have been more particular with my sterilizing, I have kept the sauce in the refrigerator for a couple of months before opening. Once opened it needs to be used within the 10 days.
If you open it your sauce jar and there is a rush of escaping air, mould growing on top, or the flavour has changed for the worse then discard it.
I usually make my sauce the way described in the recipe and either give a jar away or make sure my weekly meal plan includes recipes that go well with BBQ sauce. These could be homemade hamburgers, pulled organic pork, nitrate-free bacon and eggs, frittata, or a mixed grill.
If I could do it all again, I wouldn’t have brought a store-bought bottle of BBQ Sauce into the house in the first place! I hope you try this recipe and decide for yourself if you want to go back to a store-bought sauce that is 50% sugar.
