Homemade Condiment Creations
Tomatoes – yep. Vinegar – seems fine. Sugar – wait, what? Even ketchup isn’t safe from the wrath of sugar.
Think you have to ditch the bottle – the condiment bottle that is – in order to avoid these hidden sugars? Not a chance, especially if you have the baseline kitchen skills necessary to whip up some of these homemade alternatives. Read on for simple Primal recipes for ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, barbeque sauce and almond butter. Enjoy!
Ketchup
There’s no need to give up ketchup if you can opt for this sugar-free (but no less delicious) 3-minute variety.
6 ounces tomato paste
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp of your preferred sugar substitute (optional)
2 tbsp onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp pepper
Combine ingredients in food processor and blend until the onion disappears. Spoon mixture into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Mayonnaise
If using raw eggs in mayonnaise makes you nervous, try this recipe, which not only dramatically reduces the sugar content but also partially cooks the eggs!
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp water
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 cup pure olive oil
Heat the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, and sugar in a small skillet over very low heat, stirring constantly. At the first sign of thickness, remove from heat and submerge in a large pan of cold water (you should continue stirring here to avoid creating citrus-y scrambled eggs…trust us!) Scoop mixture out of pan and into a food processor. Blend for a few seconds and then let mixture sit uncovered for at least 5 minutes to cool. Add remaining dry ingredients, and blend on low speed. Drizzle oil slowly into the mixture until all ingredients are combined. Scoop into a large glass container and chill immediately. Mayonaise should keep for at least one week if stored correctly.
Mustard
Ahhh…mustard. Another childhood favorite. But did you know many varieties contain a hefty dose of brown sugar? Cut the carbs – and synthesize the taste – by following this spicy mustard recipe
1/4 cup white or brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup dry mustard
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp cold water
Place mustard seeds, wine vinegar and wine in a small bowl and let sit for 3 hours. Pour the contents of the bowl and the water into a food processor with a steel blade. Blend until seeds are broken up and then add the dry mustard, salt, allspice, and water, and process until smooth. Scoop into glass container and refrigerate 12 hours before serving.
Faux Honey Mustard
This is perhaps one of the most delicious (and kid-friendly) ways to sweeten the appeal of a chicken dish!
1 cup mayonnaise (extra credit if you use your own homemade version!)
1/3 cup mustard (again, there’s no harm in using your own!)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 packet sugar substitute or a bit of honey
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly. To store, refrigerate in airtight container.
Barbeque Sauce
Ever wonder what makes barbeque sauce so delicious? Perhaps it’s the 30 grams of sugar per 1/4 cup serving? Don’t want to give up this comfort food favorite? Then try this innovative recipe, which uses diet soda in place of the sugar!
2 strips of thick bacon, chopped fine or 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, or chipotle powder to taste (this gives the sauce its smoky flavor, so using either the bacon or the spices is fine!)
1 small onion (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup (again, use your homemade version!)
3 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch cinnamon
Hot sauce to taste (any variety is fine!)
If using bacon, fry in a 2-qt pan (no oil) until cooked through. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes (or until onion browns). Add in garlic and cook for a minute, then mix in all other ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes. Test the mixture and add other spices, more vinegar or hot sauce until you achieve the desired taste. To store, scoop into a large plastic container and keep refrigerated.
Almond Butter
Looking for a peanut butter alternative? Try this almond butter recipe – its quick, easy, and super nutritious!
3 lbs raw, unsalted almonds
Spread almonds on cookie sheets and toast in a 350 degree F. oven for about 10-15 minutes, stirring them around occasionally to ensure that they are toasting evenly. Let cool for 30-45 minutes. In a food processor, add handfuls of almonds at a time through the shoot opening and blend on high. Periodically open blender and scrape down sides to make sure that mixture is blending evenly. If you prefer a chunkier almond butter, save a handful for the end and then add in while pulsing food processor to attain desired consistency.
Share your favorite homemade condiment making tips and recipes in the comment boards!
erikadotnet, hexod.us, WordRidden, mightymightymatze, my amil, sproutgrrl Flickr Photos (CC)
Further Reading:
Choose Your Own Salad Adventure
FitSugar: Amazing Almond Butter Attributes
Sugar Shock: Heinz Wants Sweeter Tomatoes
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Posted By: Worker Bee
Why is there a jug of canola oil in the mayonnaise picture?
I think the “Diet Soda” in the BBQ sauce was a joke…
Great looking condiments Mark! I feel so good about using my own homemade mayo and dressings. No more soybean oil when I want the decadent blue cheese or ranch dressings! It’s amazing how incredibly easy it is to make too. I use whey in my mayo it helps extend the shelf life!
No one has mentioned the the sugar substitue of nature here. I bought the blue agave syrup and you use it for sugar substitution in anything and it tastes wonderful. I fell much better using that than all ur other sugar substites. You can add it to any recipe and feel good about it.
Agave isn’t sugar substitute, and it isn’t natural, either, or no more than table sugar is. It’s a very highly processed high fructose syrup, i.e., highly processed sugar. The idea that they might use agave plants as a base doesn’t change it into something healthful, any more than using sugar cane as a base makes table sugar healthful.
Just calling attention to the mayo recipe – I understand that the sugar was edited out, but the instructions still call for it, “Heat the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, and sugar…” Just thought you guys would want to know to avoid confusion. Thanks for the great condiment recipes.
Thank you SO MUCH! We have been sugar, dairy, and Gluten free for a few months (which I’m noticing is VERY primal) and I have been looking for these recipes the whole time! Can’t wait to try them!
Does anyone know if it is safe to make this homemade mayo if the egg is not pasturized? I buy organic free range eggs but can’t find pasturized eggs and am worried about making mayo without them. Any advice?
If you’re concerned, you can wash the outer shell of the egg before cracking into it. The inside of an egg is a safe, sterile environment meant for developing healthy chicks, only the outside is exposed to air, the package the eggs came to in, and whatever might be on your hands. If you give your eggs a wash and use clean utensils and equipment, you’ll be fine.
Kudos on the organic free-range, by local farmers aren’t organic, but their chickens run as free as their kids and that makes the best mayo (or omelettes, quiche, custard…)
The ketchup recipe was WAY more vinegar than you might expect…not even close to Heinz tasting. I recommend using about half the amount of stated apple cider vinegar to start, and if you like, add more to taste.
If you’re using organic eggs there’s no need to pasteurise or partially cook. The risk with uncooked eggs is from listeria, which is found on the shells, not in the egg itself. And it’s *extremely* rare.
I have always eaten runny fresh eggs, plus things made from raw eggs, and did so all the way through pregnancy.
Making mayo from fresh eggs is fine, and will taste much better; if you’re reaLLY worried about listeria then wash the shells and your hands before you make it!
Grok had a lot of sugar substitutes around? Was he milking the aspartame ferries?
I cannot wait to try the home made mayo.
Can anyone give me an idea of how long the mayo would be good for? Misty said she added whey to extend the shelf life. As is are we talking a day? Days? A week? And if one were to add whey…I’m not familiar with how to get/where to buy whey and would have no idea how much to add once I got it.
I just tried the mayo recipe, and it came out pretty good! However, I thought 1 tsp salt seemed like a bit much, so I only put in about 1/2 tsp. It was still a little on the salty side, but other than that, the flavor was great! Plus, a bit of extra salt doesn’t hurt if you are using the mayo for egg salad (which I did). I have about 50 cans of chunk light tuna that I bought on sale, and this mayo looks to be just what I need to start plowing through those cans! Thanks…
I forgot to toast the almonds prior to the processor for the almond butter… of two steps I forgot one lol I’m awesome. Is this why it is staying coursely ground and not transitioning to the butter? Thanks
Help! My Mayo is not even close to thick..its really runny, any ideas what I’m doing wrong?
1 tbsp lemon and forgot about the water. you should be good after that
@Nicole if you don’t drizzle the oil in slowly enough, the mayo doesn’t have time to emulsify. When it says drizzle slowly, it means REALLY slowly. I’ve done this many times and it’s very frustrating. You pretty much have to throw it out and start again.
This ketchup is AMAZING. I added a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg<3 so good
I just made the mayo recipe. Didn’t have fresh lemon juice so used that stuff that comes in the lemon shaped plastic thing. It worked fine. I also didn’t bother cooking the egg yolks. Just popped them along with the spices in to a blender.
Tastes great although a little too salty. Next time will reduce the salt and add in other spices for something different!
Oh and the eggs I used in it are farm fresh from my husband’s parents
Free range healthy chickens.
Here’s a fun suggestion for the ketchup so it tastes sweet without hte need for sugar or substitute: use one or two oven roasted tomatoes and a bit of crushed pineapple, blend into a doubled recipe (as above) and process until smooth. You won’t have the same neon-red colour, it’ll be darker, but hte complexity of flavour is amazing!
Now on the web are four recipes from Ray Audette’s NeanderThin book. The three for here are:
http://paleofood.com/recipes/dressing-neanderthinmayo.htm
http://paleofood.com/recipes/sauces-neanderthinketchup.htm
http://paleofood.com/recipes/sauces-neanderthinbarbecuesauce.htm
The book was published back in 1999 and is out-of-print. Though it is readily available on the used market.
NeanderThin fits in with Primal. Fat is not shunned. Basically to be paleo Ray says the food has to be edible raw (though you can cook it) and you have to be able to catch it with a sharpened stick. No processing. So no vinegar.
ON the bbq sauce: I used to use root beer and it’s great. You might try a licorice flavoring (maybe anise, but I’ve never tried it) rather than the diet (or reg) cola. That was how I came to try the root beer. Regular, not diet.
Anyone every heard of a Thermomix? Google it! Amazing kitchen appliance that can mill, mince, chop, blend, cook, steam, sauté, basically everything you need to do in the kitchen except fry or bake! It’s perfect for going primal because you can make everything from scratch so easily! I have one because I am horrible at cooking and it makes it so easy!! Basically without a Thermomix dinner every night would be stir fry, burritos or maybe steak, but that never really works out.. Anyway check it out, you could easily kill your own almond flour etc and make baby food. Or chop a single clove of garlic! Hopefully it can help someone else like me who can’t cook to go primal too!
I was curious about the use of molessas as a sweetner in BBQ SAUCE. I generally make my own, have for years. I use black strap and honey, I used to use brown sugar but replaced it with honey. How good or bad OS this?
I just tried making my own BBQ sauce tonight, where I heated up some butter, cinnamon, clove, five spice, and cayenne, then added just a tiny bit of honey and let cook down a touch. I then tossed some acorn squash in this and let it roast off in the oven at 500 (did not need all of the sauce stuff I made). I threw it in the food processor with some tomato paste and the other recommended ingredients on the list and am now cooking it some. I also added some homemade chicken stock to add some liquid, but it tastes super yummy so far. The acorn squash has a great sweet taste, esp when roasted, and so it helped a lot with the bbq sauce. I think I am gonna add some bacon for smoke…
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I’m wondering how long the tomato sauce would be good for (if stored correctly)?
If you are fortunate to live in Portland or Eugene, Little Big Burger makes their own ketchup, Camden’s Catsup, that is the greatest stuff ever, made with a touch of honey and sriracha. They sell it there too.
My mayonnaise tastes like it’s just olive oil. How come?
Ok I’m really confused. I don’t see diet soda in the barbecue sauce recipe like it mentions above. I’ve read some of the comments which I think are rediculous! Don’t come to someone else’s page looking for a recipe then post negative comments about their ingredients. That’s just RUDE!! If you don’t like it, and frankly if you think you know so much about what ingredients should or should not be in a recipe, THEN MAKE YOUR OWN!!!! I appreciate those that are willing to do all the trial and error work and provide me with the finished product! THANK YOU for sharing!!!!!
Where have some of these people BEEN? There are HUNDREDS of studies done and puplished about the health risks of artificial sugar!!!!!!!!!