Simple Homemade Condiment Recipes

Recipe From Naturally Savvy

Where would we be without our favorite condiments? Sometimes, a serving of condiments is all it takes to transform a dish from dull to flavorful. Unfortunately, most brands sold in stores today contain unappetizing and unhealthy ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup  and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

But did you know you could make your own condiments at home and spare you and your family these awful health risks? Check out these easy-to-do, homemade recipes for ketchup, mayonnaise and (gluten-free) barbecue sauce from Naturally Savvy.

Ketchup

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. organic tomato paste
  • ¼ cup organic honey
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (a squeeze)
  • ¼ cup water (you can add more if you want it runnier)
  • ¾ tsp. Himalayan salt
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Procedure

  1. Whisk the ingredients together and add to a small saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Let cool.
  3. Store in a glass container or jar. Remember that this ketchup doesn’t contain preservatives so it won’t keep as long. It will keep for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Mayonnaise

Ingredients

  • 1 organic, pasture-raised whole egg
  • 1 tsp. organic Dijon mustard
  • ¼ + 1/8 tsp. fine Himalayan salt
  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 1¼ tsp. organic apple cider vinegar

Procedure

  1. In a small food processor, mix the egg, mustard and salt with the processor still running; add the coconut oil, drop by drop, until the mixture begins to thicken.
  2. Without stopping the machine, add the remaining oil in a thin stream.
  3. When the oil has been incorporated, slowly add the cider vinegar. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
  4. The mayonnaise will keep three to five days in the refrigerator. Note that this recipe can be halved — to divide an egg when cutting a recipe in half, first beat the egg, and then measure out half of the egg. Save the rest for another use.

Gluten-Free Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

  • 3 cups organic tomato juice
  • ½ cup finely diced shallots
  • ½ cup raw honey or a few drops of liquid stevia if preferred
  • ¼ cup organic apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
  • Flesh of 1 naval orange, diced and without seeds

Procedure

  1. Place all ingredients in a medium-sized pot.
  2. Simmer with the lid off on medium heat for 45 minutes, or until desired consistency. This can be puréed in a blender to smooth out the texture if desired.

These Homemade Condiment Recipes Are Healthy and All-Natural

These homemade condiments contain real ingredients with additional health benefits for you and your loved ones. Using organic tomato paste and juice sets you up for the positive benefits tomatoes have to offer. Apart from having no fat and cholesterol, tomatoes have high amounts of infection-fighting vitamin C. Plus, you can get your fix of two powerful carotenoid antioxidants:

  • Lycopene: helps defend your cells and skin from UV damage and skin cancer, lessen oxidative stress and risk of osteoporosis, and keep bone density
  • Zeaxanthin: filters UV rays and helps prevent macular degeneration

Organic, pasture-raised eggs are a must if you’re making homemade mayonnaise. Most eggs nowadays come from chickens raised in conventional animal feeding operations (CAFOs), where they’re fed an unnatural diet and are exposed to dangerous bacteria. Organic, pasture raised eggs are better because compared to conventional eggs, they have higher amounts of:

  • Vitamins A and E
  • Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Beta-carotene

Other nutrients found in eggs, especially in the yolk, include:

  • Choline: helps with brain development, regulates the health of cell membranes, and has anti-inflammatory properties
  • Lutein and zeaxanthin: as mentioned earlier, zeaxanthin helps keep your eyes healthy. Meanwhile, lutein aids in protecting your central vision and assists in blue light absorption. When they work in tandem, they’re able to soak up excess photon energy and fight free radicals that can harm lipid membranes

Coconut oil is another vital ingredient because unlike vegetable oils with long-chain fatty acids, the medium-chain fatty acids in this oil provide therapeutic benefits to people with brain disorders and epilepsy, help prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and pave the way for weight loss. Meanwhile, another component in coconut oil, lauric acid, turns into a monoglyceride called monolaurin that can get rid of bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Raw organic honey adds a mild sweetness to your barbecue sauce. Apart from having antifungal and antioxidant properties, organic honey has antibacterial capabilities that allow it to eradicate more than 250 bacteria strains. Honey is also a known energy-booster and immune system builder, especially for people who have allergies.

If you like your sauce spicy, turn up the heat and the health benefits with cayenne pepper. Capsaicin, a compound found in spicy peppers, has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cancer cell-fighting abilities. This compound also relieves pain by lowering your body’s supply of substance P, a chemical that sends pain signals to your brain, and plays a role in weight loss, since it can help lower calorie intake, shrink fat tissue, reduce fat levels and inhibit fat build-up.

Sources and References