Why I Made Gallons of BBQ Sauce
Life is hard; food doesn't have to be #185 [vol5, 9.2]
Tonight’s weekly supper at church pork BBQ (from KY!) on homemade buns (this recipe x15!) with homemade BBQ sauce. I’ve learned so much and greatly enjoyed cooking for 125+. It’s an all encompassing task and hope to eventually write more about my experience. For now, the sauce…
Why Make BBQ Sauce?
It’s easy. Recipe below.
Tastes delicious.
The ingredients are better.
Ingredients
Take a look any ingredient list of any bottled barbecue sauce and one of the first ingredients will be high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Reminder - the closer the ingredient is to the top of the list, the higher concentration it is in the product.
Studies show that HFCS:
increases the appetite
promotes obesity more than regular sugar.
HFCS contributes to:
Diabetes
Inflammation = root of disease
heart disease, stroke
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Did you know?
About 5-10% of American children have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, putting its prevalence on par with asthma. Source
THIS SHOULD NOT BE! I was genuinely grieved when I first heard this.
HFCS didn’t exist before the 1970s. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was unheard of in children before HFCS.
Genetically Modified
HFCS is one ingredient that I radically guard from our diet.
There are no redeeming nutritional qualities with HFCS. The majority of corn grown in America is genetically modified (GMO). Genetically modified crops are sprayed heavily with chemicals. Depending on the source, about 92- 95% of all American grown corn is genetically modified.
These are chemicals that destroy the gut, which is our largest immune system.
I won’t go into all the details here but corn is one ingredient that if my family is eating I buy organic corn - specifically tortilla chips.
Genetically modified or engineered foods are not foods I want fueling my body.
When I realized we needed 1.5 gallons of BBQ sauce to feed the church, I couldn’t in good conscience offer it to my friends. It’s easy to make and so much better for our health!
Recipe
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup molasses or honey
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup Worcestershire*
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 t dried mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ t cayenne for extra heat
In a saucepan, heat and whisk molasses and tomato paste together. Then add spices. Once warm, add tomato sauce and vinegar. Taste and adjust. Don’t skimp on the salt.
This will keep for weeks in your fridge, maybe months. Best made a day in advance so flavors can meld.
*Pure Indian Foods brand is excellent. Azure Standard carries it, as well as some local grocers.
Where else will HFCS be found in food?
Almost everywhere. Certainly anything packaged. Definitely in drinks like sodas, juices, teas. Most sauces. Check the ingredient label of salad dressings. I’ve found it in packaged chicken salad and crackers — foods that you might consider savory.
Be vigilant about reading ingredient labels.
Life is hard; food doesn’t have to be.
Julie
PS - related: Baby Step for Big Impact: Ranch Recipe - this is the wildly popular recipe used for salad dressing at church. Super easy and also lasts weeks in the fridge.
PSS - if you listen to anything today, please oh please listen to the first 15 minutes of this podcast with Dr. Casey Means. She and her lobbyist brother, Calley, expose how Big Pharma + government agencies + the food industry poisons America and keeps us sick.
I had my kids listen to it on the way to school last week. It’s super engaging and jaw dropping.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re trying to convince your family to eat better — ask them to watch with you the first 15 minutes of the interview, it has almost 3M views on YouTube.