Homemade Cherry BBQ Sauce
By: Julia Mueller
Published: Monday, July 9, 2012 - 12:06pm

Ingredients




1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
1-1/2 cups fresh ripe cherries, pitted
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1-3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1 large orange)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon honey
2 to 3 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)

Preparation

1 In a saucepan, add 1 teaspoon of grapeseed oil and the chopped onion. Sauté until onion is translucent and turning brown, about 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cherries, mix into the garlic and onion and cover, allowing cherry juice to begin to leech out, about 3 minutes.  Uncover and add the crushed tomatoes, orange juice, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, ground red pepper, paprika and liquid smoke. Bring to a full boil and allow to bubble 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the contents of the saucepan to an emulsion blender. Emulsify until very smooth. 2 Optional for a thicker sauce: Transfer the sauce back to the saucepan and simmer on medium-low for 30 to 40 minutes in order to thicken. The sauce should be barely bubbling and be sure to stir periodically. Allow sauce to cool before transferring it to a container. If need be, allow it to cool more in the container before refrigerating it. 3 Keep refrigerated for use for up to 1 week.

About

Barbecue sauce made at home with fresh ingredients. Sweetened naturally with cherries and honey instead of sugar. Just the right amount of kick!