Cherry BBQ Sauce

Chef's notes#

This recipe scales nicely. Try a single batch. If you like it, 5x everything and can it in pint jars. (You'll have to find your own canning instructions, if you don't know what you're doing. Sorry.)

Details#

• ⏲️ Prep time: 15 minutes
• 🍳 Cook time: 5 hours (plus canning time, if desired)
• 🍽️ Servings: yields ~4 pints

Ingredients#

• 2 tsp butter or tallow
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb sweet dark cherries, pitted and destemmed. Fresh or frozen.
• 1 pint tomato sauce
• 1 c dark brown sugar
• 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp molasses
• 1 Tbsp Ancho chili powder (chipotle powder is nice, too)
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Directions#

1. Heat oil, saute onions and garlic until soft
2. Add all ingredients to a large crockpot, stir well
3. Cook on low for ~4 hours, stirring occasionally
4. Remove lid, and cook uncovered an additions 30-45 min to thicken the sauce
5. Turn off heat and allow to cool to a manageable temperature
6. Puree sauce in a blender, in small batches
7. Transfer to a container and refrigerate for 2-3 days before use.
8. If canning, you can go straight from cooking to canning.