Tangy BBQ Sauce

Like many families, I used to purchase bottled BBQ sauce. I worked long hours around budget season, month ends, quarter ends, year ends and needed every shortcut I could find. Come to think of it, all those long hours are nothing compared to the hours you put in as a parent! :)

Since my little man was diagnosed with peanut and almond allergies, we decided that I will stay home with him after my one year maternity leave (yes, we are pretty lucky here in Canada!).

Since last March, I have made many things from scratch: breads, cakes and sauces to name a few. The best value for my time and yielded in cost savings was making my own BBQ sauce.

My favorite BBQ sauce costs about $2 to $3 for a small bottle. Over this past year, I found that making your own BBQ sauce required minimal work, used ingredients that we already had on hand, tasted delicious and costs a fraction of the price of a store-bought bottle. Did you know you can also freeze BBQ sauce for later?




So if you are still purchasing bottled BBQ sauce, consider making your own and freeze some for when life gets busy.

Ingredients
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6 tbsp light brown sugar
6 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/2 tbsp ground mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

Source: Slightly adapted from Food Network