Home-made Barbecue Sauce

It's finally grilling season. We've grilled already this year, but now the weather is more consistently suited to it. This is the second time I made this sauce, which I found on the internet, and which is described as 'Carolina style', meaning that it is mustard and vinegar based. We had it on pork ribs first, and then on chicken breasts and legs. It was good on the ribs, but even better with the chicken.

It's a very simple sauce to make. Start by putting in a medium saucepan: 1 cup yellow mustard, 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup water, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground white pepper, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne powder. Mix and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes.

Once the mixture has simmered for 30 minutes, add 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp (1oz) butter and 1 tbsp water. Stir well and simmer 10 minutes more. Your sauce is now ready to use.

To use it on grilled chicken, season your chicken legs and/or breasts with salt and pepper. Place on the hot part of the grill until you get a nice sear (good browning) on the underside, then flip and repeat on the second side. Flip again and brush generously with barbecue sauce. Grill for a few minutes, then flip and brush again. Continue until the chicken is just cooked through (check at the bone with bone-in meat) - white, opaque, and with clear juices. I always cut into the thickest section and check that it is completely done. Remove from the grill and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes before eating.

Metric Info: 1 cup = 240ml; 1/2 cup = 120ml; 1/4 cup = 60 ml; 3/4 cup = 175ml; 1 oz = 28g.

Apple Sauce

Home-made apple sauce is pretty easy. You just need a lot of apples. I made a small batch - almost exactly a pint - with just over 2 lb of Paula Red apples. The type of apple is not important, although many people believe that a mix of different apples is best for flavor.

Start by peeling, coring and slicing your apples. I would strongly recommend setting up a bowl of water with a squirt of lemon juice in it first (this is called 'acidulated water', and prevents the slices from browning), and putting the slices in it as you go. Drain the slices and put in a pan with 1/2 cup water and a few appropriate spices - I used a couple of cloves, a star anise and a small stick of cinnamon. Heat on high for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Remove the spices, push through a food mill (alternatively, leave chunky or puree in a blender or food processor), and return to the pan, bringing it back to a boil before tasting and adding sugar if desired. I added 2-3 tbsp sugar. Either can the sauce (into a pint jar or 2 half pints, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, tightening and processing in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes) or cool and refrigerate.

Note 1 - If canning, see the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning for safety guidelines.

Note 2 - Metric Info: 1 pint = 470 ml; 2 lb = 900g; 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Home-made Yogurt

OK, so it may seem a little disingenuous to suggest making a product at home when one of the ingredients is the store-bought version of the same product, but, if done properly, it is self-perpetuating and will not require any more store-bought yogurt. So bear with me...

Heat 1.5 cups milk to just below a boil (this is called scalding). Switch off the heat and allow it to cool to between 105 and 110 F (you will need an instant-read thermometer). Pour into a sterilized thermos, and stir in 2 tbsp room temperature plain yogurt (make sure to buy one with live cultures in it). Close the lid of the thermos and allow to sit for 3-4 hrs. After 3 hrs, check the consistency of the contents - they should have thickened considerably. Taste - it should taste like yogurt! If it tastes right and has thickened, you can remove it from the thermos and store in the fridge. It should last for a week, but it will only be viable as a starter for another batch of yogurt for 5 days. So be sure to save a few tablespoons to start the next batch.

Recipe based on one from the Joy of Cooking, by Irma S. Rombauer et al.

Note 1 - I have a pretty small thermos, which is why I only used 1.5 cups of milk. If you have a larger one, measure the volume (fill with water and pour into a measuring cup) and scale up your ingredients.

Note 2 - If you do not have a thermos, you can use sterilized glass jars. Pour the mix in, close the lids and place in a 100 F oven or an insulated cooler. Check after 3 hrs, and proceed as above.

Note 3 - Metric Info: 1.5 cups = 350 ml; 105 F = 41 C; 110 F = 43 C; 100 F = 38 C.

Strawberry Jam

I had never made jam before, but I just started getting into canning this year, and strawberry season was coming to an end, so I decided to get started.

There are many different recipes for jam making. This one does not involve the use of prepared pectin. The resulting jam was not fully set, but was thick enough to spread well without running much (at fridge temperature, which is where I am storing it). The recipe is from 'Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It' by Karen Solomon.

Take 1.5 lb of strawberries. Wash them in cold water. Allow them to dry, then remove the green tops and cut into slices or chunks (however you would like them to be in the finished jam). Place in a large bowl. Add 2 lb sugar. Juice 2 lemons, saving the seeds and hulls. The seeds should be wrapped up in a cheesecloth bag and tied. Add the juice to the strawberries. Mix everything together gently and let it sit for at least 4 hours. You can put it in the fridge and leave it there for a while if you like - mine sat for at least 2 days.

Once the strawberries have macerated (which is what mixing them with the sugar and letting them sit is called), transfer the entire contents of the bowl into your largest pot (preferably a stockpot). Add the lemon hulls and bagged seeds. Bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to simmer until the temperature of the liquid reaches 221 F. This will take a little while - maybe 30 minutes. It will produce foam as it boils - you can remove and discard it. You should also remove the bag of seeds and the hulls at the end.

Once the jam reaches the target temperature (the gelling point), ladle it carefully (it is hot) through a funnel into sterilized jars. It should fill about five half-pint jars. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 months. If you want it to last longer, you can process it in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let the jars sit for a few hours (I leave them overnight) and check that they are sealed. If so, the jam should keep for a year.

Note 1 - If you are going to can the jam and have not already done so, you should read the USDA guide to home canning. There are considerable risks to doing it the wrong way, so this guide is highly recommended.

Note 2 - The finished jam was a little lemony. You could reduce the amount of lemon juice used slightly if you wish, but the hulls and seeds should not be omitted as they are a source of natural pectin.

Note 3 - 221 F is the gelling temperature for jam at sea level. If you are not at sea level, the gelling point will be different (it is lower at higher altitudes).

Note 4 - 1.5 lb = 680g; 2 lb = 910g; 221 F = 105 C.

Home-made Mayonnaise

We used to keep mayonnaise in our refrigerator - purchased mayo, usually Hellman's. But then we started switching over to organic food and we stopped buying it. Not that organic mayo doesn't exist, but we just stopped. Wanted some mayo the other day for a sandwich, so decided to make my own. It's very easy.

Put 1 egg yolk in a smallish bowl. Add a splash of lemon juice, a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Measure out 1 cup canola oil, and slowly drizzle it into the bowl as you whisk the egg mixture. Start very slowly with the oil, until you see it coming together, and then you can stream it in as you whisk. Expect to not use all of the oil - you can stop when you consider the mayo thick enough. Taste for seasoning - add more salt if desired, and use in place of store-bought mayo.

Note 1 - This is of course a raw-egg product. There is some risk of food borne illness, so it is not recommended for the very young, the very old or anyone with a compromised immune system.

Note 2 - As there are none of the stabilizers that you would find in purchased mayo, keep in the refrigerator and enjoy within a few days (opinions differ as to how long it will last, but definitely no more than a week).

Note 3 - You can substitute any other mild-flavored oil for canola.

Note 4 - Metric info: 1 cup = 240 ml.