Okay, here’s my blog post about making strawberry barbecue sauce:
Alright, so I’ve been seeing all these fancy barbecue sauces popping up, and I thought, “Hey, I can do that!” I had a bunch of strawberries getting a little soft in the fridge, and it just clicked – strawberry barbecue sauce. Sounds weird, but trust me, it’s good.
Getting Started
First, I grabbed those strawberries. I think there were about two pints? I washed them, hulled them (that’s taking off the green tops), and chopped them up roughly. Didn’t need to be perfect, just smaller pieces.
Cooking it Down
I dumped the strawberries into a pot – a regular saucepan, nothing fancy. Then I added some stuff I had around:
- Ketchup – about a cup, maybe a little more. I just eyeballed it.
- Brown sugar – a good handful, probably half a cup.
- Apple cider vinegar – a splash, for some tang.
- Worcestershire sauce – a few shakes.
- Some spices, standerd for the barbecue, like: paprika, onion and garlic powder.
- A pinch of salt and pepper
I stirred everything together and put it on the stove over medium heat. I brought it to a simmer, then turned the heat down low. The goal was to let it cook down and get thicker, and let the flavors all mix together.
The Long Simmer
This part took a while – maybe an hour, or even longer. I just let it bubble away gently, stirring it every now and then so it wouldn’t stick to the bottom. The strawberries really broke down, and the whole thing started to look like, well, barbecue sauce!
I checked from time to time the consistence. It was still to watery so added a spoon of cornstarch and stirred, letting the sauce cook for 10 minutes more.
The Final Touches
Once it was thick enough (it should coat the back of a spoon), I took it off the heat. I taste-tested at this time, if needed more sugar, salt or spices add at this stage.
I decided to blend it to obtain a very smooth sauce so I grabbed my immersion blender and whizzed it all up until it was nice and smooth. You could totally leave it chunky if you want, though.
The Result
And that’s it! Homemade strawberry barbecue sauce. It’s sweet, tangy, and a little bit smoky from the spices. I let it cool down, then poured it into a jar. I’ve been putting it on everything – chicken, burgers, even grilled veggies. It’s surprisingly awesome.
Seriously, give it a try. It’s way easier than you think, and it’s a great way to use up those strawberries before they go bad. Plus, you can brag to your friends that you made your own barbecue sauce. Win-win!
