Barbecue Sauce

This recipe will go along well with the upcoming BBQ Chicken Braid, so be sure to make it! This is undoubtedly some of the best BBQ sauce I've had, and I don't even really like barbecue sauce!


It is really easy to make once you get everything in the pot, and thaws wonderfully from the freezer. You can always double it if you wish, but it is so easy to make, that it really isn't much trouble if you have all of the ingredients. The only tricky ingredient for me to find was the celery seed.

As for a freezing container? If you check out the canning section, Ball has these wonderful plastic jars that are meant for freezing. The larger ones have lime green lids, and smaller, purple. I filled two green jars and a purple jar I also kept two cups of it for a recipe later that evening, so it may take three green and two purple. Either way, they are really handy to have!

This will make about 7 cups of barbecue sauce, and will last for about two months if you use it occasionally.

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup      (I use Simply Heinz, so there's no added High Fructose Corn Syrup)                
2 cups tomato sauce       (2 of the 8 oz cans)
1 1/4 cups brown sugar               
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar (or regular white vinegar if you're out)
1/2 cups unsulphured molasses           
2 T butter, cut into small pieces
4 tsp hickory flavored liquid smoke   (found by the barbecue and steak sauces)    
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder               
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika                   
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon           
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt                       
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
Honey to taste, optional (I added in about a 1/4 cup)



Kitchenware:
Measuring Vessels
Saucepan
Wooden Spoon
Freezing Vessels

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all the wet ingredients and then add the seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it simmers (and then as it cools).  If you have a crock pot handy, I'm sure you could just throw it in there instead. (I'll have to test that out next time!)

Try to plan ahead and simmer for at least an hour.After it cools completely, put in freezing vessels and freeze desired quantity. Make sure you keep some in the refrigerator, because this sauce is great!

 The Finished Product.

I still had a Green Jar of Sauce in the fridge, so I luckily had enough purple ones. These work wonderfully in the fridge as well as the freezer!