How to Make Condiments From Scratch

Some things are just better when they’re made from scratch—and making something with your own two hands provides such satisfaction. You know exactly what ingredients go into your meals, and it offers you the flexibility to adjust your recipe for dietary and taste preferences.

It’s BBQ season—and instead of adding condiments full of sugar and preservatives, why not go the extra mile and make some mayo, ketchup and mustard yourself? The mayo is super easy, and I’ll be making that instead of buying from the store from now on. The ketchup and mustard are a bit more a labour of love, but you can certainly taste the difference when they’re homemade.

Up your summer BBQ game with these three saucy staples for the grill…

MAYONNAISE INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sunflower, avocado or another neutral oil
• 1 egg or 3 to 4 tablespoons liquid egg, pasteurized
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the egg, lemon juice, vinegar and salt, along with half of the oil in a narrow bowl.
   Be sure to do add in ingredients in that order so that the egg is at the bottom.
2. Using an immersion blender, beat on high with the blades near the bottom of the bowl so the oil slowly emulsifies.
3. After about 30 seconds, start to add in the rest of the oil, very gradually, until the mixture is thick and creamy (like mayo!).
4. Taste and see if more salt is needed, then store in a jar in the fridge. Use within four days.

KETCHUP INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups tomatoes (on the vine ones work well)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (regular vinegar will work in a pinch)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp salt (more to taste)
• 1/4 tsp chili powder (more to taste if you want it spicy)
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp whole cloves, finely crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove stems from clean and dried tomatoes. In a large bowl with an immersion blender or in a food processor, purée the tomatoes.
2. Pour the tomatoes through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan, so only the juice remains and the skins and seeds are left behind.
3. Cook tomato juice over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer and reduce for approximately 45 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and taste for seasoning—it’s up to you whether you’d like it sweeter or spicier.
5. Cook for another 10 minutes or so until the ketchup is at your preferred thickness.
6. Let cool completely then transfer into an airtight container and refrigerate.
7. Keeps in the fridge for a month.

NOTE: If you want to speed up the whole process, you can use 1 1/2 cups of tomato paste instead of reducing the whole tomatoes.

MUSTARD INGREDIENTS

This recipe is for yellow mustard but it will still have a bit of grain to it because you’re using mustard seeds versus mustard powder.

• 1 1/2 cups cold filtered water
• 3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

Use stainless steel throughout this entire process. Do not use aluminum utensils or pots as it will change the taste of your mustard. Wash all of your tools in boiling hot water before you begin.

1. In a spice grinder (or a mortar and pestle—but that will take longer), grind the mustard seeds into a fine powder. The finer it is, the smoother the mustard will be—so grind until it’s the texture you like.
2. Mix the ground mustard in with the rest of the spices.
3. In a saucepan, add the water and all of the spices and stir. Cook on low for 40 to 45 minutes or until it begins to boil.
4. Now add the vinegar. Five it a quick stir and let it come back to a boil for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
5. With a funnel, pour the mixture into a glass container and let it cool completely. Refrigerate.
6. Let the mustard sit in the refrigerator for at least a day, if not two before using, so the flavours can meld together (otherwise, it will be very bitter).

NOTE: If you would like to make honey mustard, add honey at a 1:1 ratio to the mustard or to your desired taste.