By Alex ‘Earthie Mama’ Du Toit
Contributing writer for Wake Up World
I love condiments. I use them with every meal, so it is important for me to know what is in them. It's so easy to go to the market and buy your favorite condiment without paying much attention, however if you read ingredients labels, you will notice that the most popular condiments you might normally buy are packed with artificial preservatives, and full of unnecessary sugars (like high-fructose corn syrup), GMO's and ingredients most of us can't even pronounce.
But condiments can be natural, healthy and delicious if you make them at home. They are easy and inexpensive to make, and if you make a large batch, you can store them in mason jars for use all year round!
Here are 5 common condiment recipes you can make at home:
Ketchup
Ingredients:
- 3 cans/jars of organic tomato paste or a pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled and cooked
- ½ cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (this will leave a faint apple taste)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, agave or coconut sugar or about ½ tsp stevia powder/tincture
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
- Cinnamon, cloves, all-spice, and cayenne (a pinch of each to taste)
- 1 cup of water
- Put the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend well.
- Put in fridge to let flavors meld overnight, or at least two hours.
Mustard
Ingredients:- 6 tablespoons mustard seeds, about 50 grams
- 1/2 cup mustard powder, about 50 grams
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons agave, maple syrup. honey, or coconut sugar (optional)
- 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (optional)
- Grind the whole mustard seeds for a few seconds in a spice or coffee grinder, or by hand with a mortar and pestle. You want them mostly whole because you are using mustard powder, too.
- Pour the semi-ground seeds into a bowl and add the salt, turmeric and mustard powder. Put in optional ingredients.
- Pour in the water, then stir well. When everything is mix, let this sit for up to 10 minutes. (The longer you let it sit, the mellower the mustard will be). When you’re ready, pour in the vinegar.
- Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge.
- It will be runny at first. Don’t worry, it will thicken up overnight. Wait at least 12 hours before using.
- This Mustard will last a year in the fridge.
Hot Sauce
?Ingredients:- 1 pound of tomatoes (diced) about 3 cups
- half a red onion, chopped
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1-3 teaspoons of coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave, honey to taste
- 2 hot peppers
- 4 cloves garlic
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, habaneros to taste and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar to taste.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot ingredients.)
- Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; pour the pureed mixture through the sieve, pushing on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid. (Discard solids.)
- Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours.
Vegan Mayonnaise
Ingredients:- 1/2 cup plain, unsweetened dairy free milk (not vanilla!)
- 1½ cups extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
- Pinch of onion powder
- Pour the non-dairy milk in to a blender, cover and turn on low.
- Slowly pour the oil in.
- Continue to run the blender, until smooth, the longer you
- Spoon the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Store in a tightly sealed jar for up to a week.
BBQ Sauce
Ingredients:- 1/2 teaspoon olive or coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped small
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- dash of cinnamon
- Add oil to a medium sized saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently so garlic does not burn.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, maple syrup, molasses, apple cider vinegar, tamari and mustard into the pan. Stir to combine.
- Add salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, chili powder, ground pepper and cinnamon. Stir
- Allow mixture to come to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook for about 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Don't let get too hot.
- Use right away or let cool and refrigerate for later use.
Recommended reading from Alex ‘Earthie Mama’ Du Toit:
- 7 Ingredients for Natural Cancer Prevention – Health Tonic Recipe Included!
- Treating Anxiety Naturally
- Immune Support Tonic – Delicious Natural Recipe
- Natural Antibiotic Ointment Recipe!
- Nature’s Most Powerful Antibiotics (Recipe Included!)
- 10 Health Benefits of Cucumbers
- Dirt is NOT Dirty – How Playing in the Dirt Benefits the Immune System
- How to Make Kombucha
- Practical Tips for Raising Earth-Conscious Children
- Ditch the Toxic Pharmaceuticals, Make Your Own Natural Body Care Products
- Turmeric Milk Recipe: a Natural Mood Enhancer and Depression Fighter
Please check out her website at EarthieMama.com, connect with Earthie Mama on Facebook, or sign up to the free EarthieMama e-newsletter!