Ketchup, tartar sauce, mustard—these are some of our favorite condiments. Did you know you can make these yourself? Amateur cooks can easily stir up these favorite condiments at home. Here are recipes for five delicious condiments to wow your friends.
Ketchup
Ingredients
4 quarts ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon allspice
1 stick cinnamon
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon paprika
Directions
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Combine tomatoes, onion, and red bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft.
- Use a food mill or sieve to press the vegetables into a puree. Return this puree to the saucepan.
- Cook over high heat for one hour or until the puree thickens. The volume should reduce by about one-half.
- Place the celery seed, mustard seed, allspice, and cinnamon stick in the center of a 4-inch square of cheesecloth and tie square into a bag.
- Place the bag of spices, brown sugar, and salt into the tomato mixture. Cook the mixture over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the cider vinegar and paprika. Continue to cook until mixture thickens.
- Spoon the ketchup into a sealable container and store in a cool, dark place for one week before using. Remove the spice bag at the end of the week, and the ketchup is ready to eat. Store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Tips and Tricks
- If you’re looking for a little extra kick, add one teaspoon curry powder with your spices.
- This recipe tastes great on burgers, fries, eggs, and wherever ketchup would be used.
Mustard
Ingredients
1/3 cup mustard seed
3 tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dark beer
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Directions
- Combine the mustard seed, dry mustard, and cider vinegar in a small bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for three hours.
- In a saucepan, combine the dark beer, garlic, brown sugar, salt, ginger, and allspice. Stir in the mustard mixture.
- Heat on medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Spoon the mustard into a jar, seal tightly, and let it cool at room temperature. Refrigerate after opening.
Tips and Tricks
- Consider using a combination of black and yellow whole mustard blended with malt vinegar for a more complex flavor.
- When using whole mustard, soak the seeds in one cup of water overnight to soften them.
Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
6 scallions, minced
1/4 cup chopped bread-and-butter pickles
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well until blended.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for two hours or overnight before using.
- Store the tartar sauce in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Tips and Tricks
- To make the tartar sauce less sweet, substitute dill pickles for bread-and-butter pickles.
- This recipe is good on seafood, carrot fries, and whatever you would use tartar sauce for.
Mayonnaise
Ingredients
3/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the grapeseed oil and the extra virgin olive oil.
- Separate the yolk from one egg and place in a blender. Add the second (whole) egg to the blender.
- Add the lemon juice and salt to the blender. Blend the ingredients for a few seconds.
- Gradually drizzle the oils into the blender while blending.
- Pour mixture into a jar. Store mayonnaise in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Tips and Tricks
To keep longer, consider fermenting. Fermenting allows you to keep the mayonnaise up to two months. To ferment, first collect whey by draining plain yogurt through a cheesecloth for several hours. The whey is the liquid that drains out. Add 1 teaspoon of the whey to your mayonnaise and mix well. Allow mixture to sit at room temperature for six hours, then refrigerate.
Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a stockpot. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Uncover and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. It should reduce by about a third.
- Pour sauce into a sealable container and store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Tips and Tricks
- You can use this sauce with ribs, chicken wings, grilled tofu, or pineapple.
- Consider marinating meat overnight in this sauce to really soak in the flavor.
