Saucy Summer Fruit
Summer is here, and along with those warm sunny days come outdoor living, the smoky scent of the grill and an abundance of summer fruit. If you’re through with jams and pies, why not take inspiration from what is all around us and try using some of that summer bounty in your own barbecue sauce?
What to look for
The tastiest barbecue sauces have that tantalizing combination of flavours — hitting all the notes, from sweet to sour and from smoky to spicy. They are spreadable and caramelize nicely under the grill, but are equally delicious when daubed on cold afterwards or warmed for dipping.
The basics
Most barbecue sauces begin with a tomato base, sweetened with brown sugar, honey or maple syrup, balanced with an acid-like vinegar after which spices and other flavouring elements join the mix to help develop depth and nuance.
Where does the fruit fit in?
Fruit provides the sweet side or, in the case of something like rhubarb, perhaps even the sour element and also provides suitable body and texture to the sauce. Peaches, apricots, plums, rhubarb, blueberries and blackberries can all fit in.
Look for flavour friends
A traditional barbecue sauce may employ Worcestershire sauce for that dash of umami, as well as cayenne and onion and garlic powders, but varying the spices and looking for pairings that enhance the flavours of your fruit can be where the fun comes in. We’re thinking cherries and red wine, or blackberries, pepper and soy sauce. What about raspberries and tomatoes, with a dash of horseradish for heat?
Before or after?
Barbecue sauce has high sugar content, which helps it develop a rich caramel flavour, but add too much heat and it can burn. When cooking something such as ribs or chicken, dust them with a dry spice rub and cook them slowly, then baste them with sauce and turn up the heat for five to 10 minutes to achieve that delicious sticky-sweet finish.
These three recipes will pair well with all your barbecue favourites — from burgers and kebabs to chicken and ribs. For each sauce, once it is cooked, pour into Mason jar, allow to cool, seal and store in fridge until ready to use. Warm the sauce slightly to help you baste your barbecue items. If you want to store for longer, use sealing procedures for Mason jars. Each recipe makes one 500-millilitre jar.
Rhubarb ginger barbecue sauce
This sauce hits the sour note of a classic barbecue sauce, but the mild spicy flavour comes not from chilies or cayenne, but from ginger — a classic rhubarb bestie. Unlike other fruits (Okay, we know, rhubarb is a vegetable), rhubarb has very little pectin so it cooks down to a lovely smooth texture.
2 cups rhubarb, chopped into ½-inch pieces
5 tablespoons tomato paste
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup water
2½ teaspoons grated ginger root
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
In a small saucepan, bring all the ingredients to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer gently for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick.
Spicy peach habanero barbecue sauce
Habaneros have a fruity but fiery flavour that pairs well with peaches and will definitely give this sauce a spicy punch. But if you are fearful, don’t worry — once the sauce is brushed on chicken or ribs and cooked further, it mellows out nicely.
1 habanero pepper
1 small onion, about ½ cup chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced and peeled peaches (about 325 grams)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Taking care to protect your hands, remove the stem from the habanero, slice it in half, remove the seeds and slice the pepper in six to eight pieces. In a medium saucepan, on medium-low heat, soften the onion, habanero and garlic in olive oil for about five minutes or until soft and translucent, but not browned.
Place contents of saucepan in a blender or food processor and blend with peaches until smooth. Pour this purée into a medium saucepan and add vinegar, sugar, honey, salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg. Bring mixture to boil over high heat and reduce to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
Smoky plum barbecue sauce
Spicy Spanish paprika provides just the right amount of smoky flavour to this plum sauce, which is grounded with a hint of umami from tamari or soy. It's wonderful over pork ribs.
3 black plums
½ cup tomato paste
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce
¾ teaspoon spicy smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
Slice plums, discarding pits, and place in a food processor with tomato paste, and purée until smooth. Add the purée to a medium saucepan with brown sugar, vinegar, tamari, paprika and salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes or until thick.
