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Blueberries for blueberry hot sauce

Blueberry hot sauce recipe

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Course Condiment
Cuisine American, British
Calories 830 kcal

Equipment

  • Kitchen scales
  • Colander
  • Chopping board and knife
  • Large saucepan
  • Long-handled spoon for stirring
  • Ladle
  • Funnel
  • Blender or immersion blender
  • Fine mesh strainer
  • Clean, sterilised glass jars/bottles with sealable lids
  • Optional: squeezy sauce bottles with air-tight caps.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1.5 cups blueberries
  • ½ red onion
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • ½ lemon, zested and juiced
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cm ginger , finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 8-10 chillies / 2 medium Habanero peppers - deseeded(or not for realfire), tops cut off and chopped up

Instructions
 

  • To caramelize onions, begin by heating oil in a small saucepan on low heat. Add the onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they are browned and soft.
  • Next, add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients, except the sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • To avoid scorching, stir occasionally and allow the mixture to slowly reduce to a thicker consistency.
  • Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • In a blender or food processor or with an immersion blender, puree the blueberry mixture until smooth.
  • Pass through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard solids.
  • Return strained liquid to saucepan.
  • Add sugar +/- some water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. It is at this stage that you can decide whether you want a thicker sauce or not.
  • Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Transfer the sauce to sterilised glass jars or bottles and seal.
  • Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and/or freeze as needed.
  • If you portion the sauce into freezer-safe containers, freezing will make it last up to 3 months. To use, allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. If you want to serve it warm, reheat it gently.

Notes

TIPS for making savoury blueberry sauce

The ingredients
1. Use blueberries that are ripe and sweet for the best flavour.
2. You can improve the flavour of the blueberries if they are not at their best. Add a touch of sugar/honey/maple syrup to balance out the tartness of the blueberries. This sweetness with a bit of lemon juice can revive low-taste or too-sour blueberries.
Lemon juice can freshen and heighten the flavour; as can soaking them in a mixture of this lemon with honey +/- a splash of whisky. The whisky adds a depth of flavour and as the alcohol burns off during the cooking, there is no risk of intoxication here! You can of course just use some water instead of alcohol.
3. Lemon juice also limits the discolouration of the sauce - lime juice or citric acid can perform the same role.
4. Use a mix of hot chilli peppers for heat, or just one type, with the seeds removed, for a milder sauce. Tailor make this to your needs and heat tolerance.
The cooking
5. Beware! Make sure to wear disposable gloves when handling the chillies. De-seeding chillies can cause harm as the juice from the pepper can burn your eyes and skin.
6. Open the windows to air out the vinegar and chilli vapours as the mixture cooks, as the vapours can sting your eyes and scent your whole house!
7. Caution! Be careful to avoid and limit the steam build-up that can happen when hot liquids are enclosed in a small space in the blender. Or use an immersion blender carefully in the hot liquid. In both cases proceed with caution to avoid the potentially harmful splatter of hot liquids.
The finish
8. Decide whether you prefer either a textured or smooth sauce. For smoothness, proceed as per the recipe. For some texture, either avoid blending or set aside some of the cooked sauce with pieces of blueberries and add this back to the rest of the blended sauce ahead of bottling.
9. While I prefer to thicken the sauce by cooking it a bit longer until it reaches my desired consistency (and concentrates the flavour even more), you can also use a thickener to do this instead.
Cornstarch - 1 tablespoon made up into a slurry with water, added in small amounts and allowed to cook through until the sauce thickens. If needed, continue to add small amounts of the cornstarch slurry until you are satisfied with the thickness of the sauce. Keep in mind that as the sauce cools it will thicken further.
 

Customising your spicy blueberry sauce

1. Add a bit of chipotle spice or smoked paprika for smokiness. This is especially good if the sauce is going to be used mainly with savoury dishes.
2. Use a different hot pepper for variety - birds-eye, jalapeno, serrano, scotch-bonnet peppers. Select according to preferred flavour and heat.
3. You may want to add some additional spices e.g.all-spice, nutmeg or cinnamon for warm exotic notes or some cumin for its distinctive earthiness.
4. You could also try adding a little bit more honey or agave nectar for a sweeter sauce fruity hot sauce. Or try different sweeteners e.g brown sugar. Just make sure that it dissolves completely when cooking.
5. Add another fruit proportionately to the total amount of fruit for this recipe. e.g. apricot, orange, or any of the other berries.
By experimenting with different flavours and textures, you can create a sauce that is perfectly unique to you.
 

Suggestions for using a fruity hot sauce

1. As a condiment for your favourite savoury dishes. Stir some into a butternut soup for something just a bit different!
2. Use the sauce on its own or stirred through some yoghurt or cream cheese as a dipping sauce for appetizers or finger foods.
3. Mixed into mayonnaise or other salad dressings.
4. Drizzled over grilled meats or fish. Or add to a marinade blend.
5. You can use it in place of ketchup on burgers or hot dogs. Or add it to your next grilled cheese sandwich for a taste explosion!
6. This berry hot sauce can be a new and flavorful addition to your breakfast eggs. It is good with just about any egg dish!
7. Try it stirred through pasta, rice or steamed vegetables.
So don't be afraid to experiment - the blueberry hot sauce is versatile and delicious, and it just might become your new favourite way to spice things up in the kitchen.

Nutrition

Calories: 830kcalCarbohydrates: 188gProtein: 10gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gSodium: 1391mgPotassium: 1807mgFiber: 14gSugar: 154gVitamin A: 3577IUVitamin C: 576mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 6mg
Nutritional Disclaimer

All nutritional information is an estimate only, based on third-party calculations derived from an online nutritional calculator, Spoonacular API. The data provided is a courtesy and should not be considered a guarantee or fact. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients and brands you use, your measuring methods and portion sizes. For accurate results, we recommend that you calculate the nutritional information yourself, using a preferred nutritional calculator or advice from a nutritionist, based on your ingredients and individual processes.

Keyword blueberry hot sauce
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