How to make your own condiments at home
|Published
Picture: Pikist
There are certain foods that condiments make so much better. Think crispy, golden chips with a generous side of creamy garlic aioli, or boerie fresh off the coals and on to a soft, white roll with a generous lashing of tangy tomato sauce.
However, when it comes to condiments, nothing surpasses the flavour of a sauce or dip made at home from fresh ingredients. There are a number of reasons why you should try making your own condiments, the main being that you get to control what ingredients go into your food. Store-bought sauces are convenient to have on hand, but they’re also filled with large amounts of salt, sugar, oil and preservatives that are unhealthy to consume in large amounts. Home-made condiments are also better value for money.
Here are 3 condiment recipes to try at home:
Tomato sauce
By @sholeninthekitchen
Whether you’re pairing it with slap chips or scrambled eggs, tomato sauce is a must-have in every household.
Ingredients
- 2 kg tomatoes, peeled
- 1 onion
- 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
- ⅓ cups sugar
- ¾ cups apple cider vinegar
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp celery stalk (powder or regular stems)
- ¼ tsp crushed garlic
- Black pepper
Instructions
Put the tomatoes in a large pot with the onion and garlic.
Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. It needs to melt together well.
Purée the tomatoes, onion and garlic using a high-speed blender.
Pour tomato sauce back into the pot and add all the remaining ingredients.
Boil for a while, then reduce the heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until it thickens (about 1½-2 hours).
Purée the mixture in the blender at top speed until smooth.
Put the sauce in tiny jars and vacuum it upside down. This way you have fresh tomato sauce every time.
Garlic aioli
By @unicornsinthekitchen
Rich, creamy and packed with flavour, garlic aioli is the star of every fried chicken burger, seafood dish or even just a plate of chips.
Ingredients
- 1 egg, whole
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup canola oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
Add the egg, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and salt to the bowl of a food processor and blend until fully combined. You can also crush the garlic in advance.
With the food processor still running, very slowly, add in first the canola oil then the olive oil in a very thin stream. The result should be a creamy mixture.
Transfer to a container and refrigerate for up to one week.
Mustard
By @dubbing plates
Potato salads, salad dressing, pastas, marinade, steak sauce… the list goes on. When it comes to a pantry staple, mustard should be top of the list for its broad variety of uses.
Ingredients
- 70g yellow mustard grains
- 30g dark mustard grains
- 250ml mineral water
- 150ml white wine vinegar
- 150ml white wine
- 15g refined salt
- 30g refined sugar
- 2.5g powdered turmeric
Instructions
Place the mustard grains in a glass container with a lid and add 250ml of water and salt. Mix, cover, and leave for 24 hours (do not stir).
After 24 hours add the other ingredients, stir, cover, and wait for another 24 hours.
Pour the entire mixture into the blender, beat for about 30 seconds. Do not allow the mustard grains to completely dissolve.
Place in a pan, put on low heat for about 10 minutes, removing the foam that forms with a skimmer.
Taste the mustard. If you want it less spicy, add a little more water. Set the salt, sugar, and vinegar amounts to suit your taste buds
Wait 2 days before consuming. Lasts 2 months in the refrigerator if stored correctly.