But if you're one of a growing number of sensitive eaters, barbecues can be a frustrating, bland experience if you need preservative- or gluten-free sauces and condiments for your barbecue.
While homemade, gluten-free condiments may not last as long as their store-bought counterpart, the taste and health benefits are well worth the effort. Even if you don't have food sensitivities, you'll love the rich taste of homemade condiments that are so easy to make. Just remember to store sauces in the refrigerator, and eat up products with dairy or egg ingredients within 2 weeks.
Here are some basic recipes for more natural, homemade condiments you can make in about 10 minutes.
Homemade Ketchup
The flavour of tomato is so unique and rich it shouldn't need additives and spices to dress it up. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and surrounding soft pulpy jelly into a bowl. Push the soft pulp through a sieve, to remove the seeds and any hard pieces, and pour the juice and soft jelly into a pot. At this stage, you can add a teaspoon or two of vinegar for a more tangy ketchup. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, and reduce until it is a thick syrupy consistency. Once finished, add a pinch of salt to season the ketchup, and add some sugar to sweeten, if necessary.
Tip: Choose juicy, rich-looking tomatoes, and allow them to fully ripen near a window with some sunlight. This yields more flavourful ketchup.
See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: Chunky Tomato Pear Ketchup
Homemade Mustard
Make your own mustard with a few simple ingredients. Blend together a few tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds or a blend of yellow and brown mustard seeds, then equal amounts of white vinegar, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, and sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth.
See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: L'Ancienne Mustard
Page 1 of 2 - Read page two for homemade mayo, gluten-free teriyaki sauce, natural sour cream and more!
