from Crafty Condiments
Making barbecue sauce is similar to chutney but with a few different ingredients. I love making barbecue sauce out of fruit like blueberries or plums instead of tomatoes. I once made pulled pork sliders, slow cooked in a homemade blueberry barbecue sauce, which were topped with a mango fennel coleslaw on soft Hawaiian rolls for a birthday lunch. The guests all stopped talking. Fresh, homemade food will do that to people. Don’t you want to give it a go?
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart blueberries
3 chipotle chiles, ground, or 2 fresh jalapeños, minced without seeds
½ teaspoon paprika
1½ tablespoons cider vinegar
¼ cup unsulfured molasses
Juice of ½ lemon
Coarse salt and black pepper, freshly ground
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in bluberries, chiles, vinegar, molasses, paprika and lemon juice. Simmer over medium-low heat until reduced by a third, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly, then purée using an immersion blender (if you don’t have one, purée the sauce in a blender, in batches). Season with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate in a jar with tight-fitting lid for up to 2 weeks.
About the author
Jamie Collins is the owner of Serendipity Farms and has been growing organic row crops at the mouth of Carmel Valley since 2001. She distributes her produce through a CSA, u-picks and farmers’ markets.
