Blackstrap BBQ Sauce

Has there ever been a recipe that you would never believe that you could make? Maybe Grandma’s Apple Pie or a fancy dish you tried while on vacation. Well I have always had one that intimidated me for sure. My big intimidator has always been BBQ sauce. I guess I just always felt like you needed some sort of advanced degree in grilling to make your own sauce. Boy was I so incredibly wrong. I have now passed this hurdle without a degree I am very proud of myself.

I picked this recipe to master because my husband loves his BBQ. In fact, we have an entire covered area in our yard just dedicated to his collection of BBQs and smokers. So, when the doctor started talking about less red meat, only natural sugars, and low salt I could see my husband deflate. I knew I had to find a way for him to BBQ and have it be more appetizing than grilled cauliflower.

Every recipe that I could track down called for ketchup (which has a ton of sugars and salt) or called for a lot of white cane sugar. When I started messing around with several different recipes the first thing I did was ditch the ketchup idea. It was going to have to be tomato sauce with no added salt or making my own. Turns out my homemade tomato sauce is killer! Recipes for tomato sauce and paste will be posted once everyone has fresh tomatoes.

Many recipes also called for white vinegar. I opted for apple cider vinegar because of all the health benefits and the wonderful tang that accompanies it. Then there was the option of honey or molasses. I decided to go with blackstrap molasses. Honey is a great option. Just made sure its unfiltered and/or organic. Otherwise, it’s not technically honey based on the FDA description. There are also a few ingredients in this recipe that I am just not at a point that I can make from scratch or its something that would be unreasonable.

What you need

• Tomato Sauce
• Tomato Paste
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Blackstrap Molasses
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Garlic Powder
• Mustard Powder (If you don’t have any yellow mustard works)
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Liquid Smoke

It’s too easy to make

Mix all of the ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Stir and simmer on medium heat until everything has melded together.

Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until desired thickness. Be sure to cover the pan because this sauce likes to pop and splatter everywhere.This recipe makes about 2 pints of sauce. I pour mine into mason or freezer jars. This sauce will stay good in the fridge for weeks (although it will probably be used faster) or 3 months in the freezer.

Below you will find links to the types of jars I prefer to use. If you’re going to freeze the sauce in glass jars do not fill them above the “shoulders” of the jar. Another option would be using a wide mouth jar. You would still need to leave about 1 1/2 inches of head space to allow for expansion.

Click here to try some awesome BBQ Baked Beans made with this BBQ delicious sauce.

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