Making Your Own Condiments

[Mottmott]

I just made an enormous batch of orange and grapefruit peel.

Homemade items on hand at this moment:

tomato sauce

beef stock (just finished off the chicken)

apricot preserves

onion confit

frozen pie dough

chicken & duck & bacon fat

clarified butter

mirpoix

pesto

preserved lemons

tangerine peel

oven dried tomatoes (some frozen, some packed in oil)

vanilla sugar

orange sugar

balsamic reduction

Suvir’s tomato chutney

rum soaked raisins and currants (wonderful to use in baking scones, bread puddings, etc.)

Often I keep:

duxelles

cookies or scones to be baked as needed

various soups and stews or trimmings and bones to make them

frozen fresh pasta

[Behemoth]

Stuff I make:

rendered duck fat

chicken stock, beef stock (both in freezer)

demiglace (fridge)

tomato chutney

tamarind chutney

usually preserved lemons, but right now I'm all out.

there's some frozen pesto somewhere

frozen lemon & lime juices

frozen lemon syrup (for lemonade, or sour mix)

extra pizza dough

my mom sends me:

peach jam

orange/lemon marmalade

tarragon vinegar

spiced cranberry catsup

I have ghee and all that kind of stuff, but I don't make it myself. Other stuff I generally prefer to buy/make fresh. How long can you keep fresh mayo? I never hold it for more than a few days. People like to give me pickles. I am not sure why, but I sure do like them.

I really need to candy some citrus peel.

Edited January 28, 2005 by Behemoth (log)

[deltadoc]

Can anybody recommend books that would have recipes and storage directions for various condiments mentioned here?  I feel like I've found a gold mine!!! 

←

Any older version of Joy of Cooking.

doc

[andiesenji]

Can anybody recommend books that would have recipes and storage directions for various condiments mentioned here?  I feel like I've found a gold mine!!!  

←

Any older version of Joy of Cooking.

doc

←

Home Made in the Kitchen Barry Bluestein, Kevin Morrissey, Jeanne Troxell Munson

Better Than Store Bought and Fancy Pantry by Helen Witty and also her Good Stuff cookbook.

These are the ones I turn to whenever I want to make something and don't have a clue where to begin.

Helen Witty has the best recipes for wine jellies I have yet discovered and her recipe for cream crackers in Fancy Pantry is absolutely the best, I depend on it.

[jgm]

Thank you, Andie and Doc!

Man, I love eGullet.

[andiesenji]

Discovering how to make a particular condiment is a creative adventure. I have had a lot of fun over the years experimenting with various combinations of ingredients to get just that perfect blend of sweet, hot, sour, salt and pungency that titillates the tongue and nose.

Mostly I have been successful but am still trying to figure out what gave one particular firey-hot mustard its interesting flavors.

A friend (chef), who moved to South Africa several years ago,sent me a little jar of mustard (along with some other oddities) with the name of "Mother-In-Law's Tongue", as he thought the name would amuse me.

It did, but I was more taken with the flavors that gave the mustard its complex heat and pungency.

The printing on the label, except for the name, was not in English so the true ingredients remain a mystery to me. I saved the jar but it was misplaced some time ago.

I have probably made upwards of thirty tries to duplicate the flavor, using various types of mustard, African peppers, spices and herbs but still that particular flavor eludes me.

It is one of those things that, I can't describe exactly, but would know it if I tasted it. I would love to try it again but have never found it on any website and Lee has since moved on and is no longer in Capetown.

It is still fun to try, along with the various other mustard combinations I make.

Most recent is a combination of my homemade seedy mustard with Crosse & Blackwell's Branston Pickle, mixed half and half and served with a roasted leg of pork.

My God! that was good........tangy, a great complement to the pork without overwhelming it.

[andiesenji]

I have had a couple of requests for this recipe so am posting it on this thread. It was earlier posted on the "Ketchup Conundrum" thread.

Mushroom Ketchup

About 1 1/4 cup very hot water - close to boiling.

3 ounces dried porcini or dried shiitaki mushrooms. (buy the big container at Costco or Sam's Club, they are wonderful.)

1 1/2 pounds Italian or brown mushrooms

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or sherry vinegar if you can find it)

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/2 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon Angostura bitters (If you don't have this on hand, use 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce)

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, Tabasco or Crystal or ??

1/4 cup of carmelized onions, the browner the better.....

Use filtered water if possible. I find that I get the best results with it.

Put the filtered water in a one quart Pyrex measure and microwave until nearly boiling.

Break the dried shiitaki mushrooms into the hot water and weight them down with a saucer so they will be covered by the water.

Allow to stand for about 30 minute. They should be soft.

Remove mushrooms from the liquid with a slotted spoon.

Filter the liquid using a paper coffee filter and save in the refrigerator tightly covered.

Chop the soaked mushrooms into small dice. If the stems are too tough, discard them.

Quickly wash and drain the fresh mushrooms.

Place both types of mushrooms in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse several times until the mushrooms are finely chopped.

Turn the mixture out into a quart jar, add the salt and mix well.

Cover the container tightly and place in the refrigerator.

Keep refrigerated for 2 to 3 days, stirring once or twice a day or shake the jar vigorously.

Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and line with a cotton dish towel (or a piece of washed, unbleached muslin). Pour the mixture into the strainer and allow to drain, pressing on the mixture with the back of a spoon to express as much liquid as you can.

Gather the corners of the cloth and lift out of the strainer and twist to express even more liquid from the mushrooms.

When you have wrung out as much liquid as possible, don't discard the mushrooms, set them aside.

Now strain the liquid through a paper coffee filter in a strainer into a saucepan, or saucier, about 1 1/2 to 2 quart.

Now add the liquid from soaking the porcini or shiitaki mushrooms

Place over low heat and bring to a simmer.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Simmer for about 40 minutes, uncovered.

Add the mushrooms and continue simmering at a gentle simmer for an additional 20 - 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat, allow to cool somewhat.

Pour into food processor and process for about a minute, stopping a couple of times to scrape the sides down so that everything is emulsified. (you can also use a blender but do it in small batches)

Return to the saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

Immediately pour into hot, sterlized 1/2 pint jars, cover, and cool.

Store in refrigerator or in the freezer if you won't be using it up within a month.

Yield, about 2 1/2 cups.

Andie Paysinger

[Episure]

Andie Paysinger,(now I know your name )

Thanks for reviving one of my favourite topics and posting yet another recipe.

In my neck of the woods the price of tomatoes has fallen to less than 10 cents a kilo so it's time for me to exploit the prices dynamics to my advantage.

[andiesenji]

I am reviving this thread because someone sent me a PM asking for my recipe for green tomato chutney which I have added to Recipe Gullet but am adding it here as well, just in case some more of you have extra green tomatoes to use up.

However, if you don't want to use them all you can wrap each tomato (make sure there are no blemishes or bruises) individually in newspaper and place them in a wire basket that will allow air to circulate around the little packages and make sure they are in a cool, dry place. Remove one, two or however many you need, unwrap them and place on a windowsill to ripen. The tomatoes should keep several weeks.

Green Tomato Chutney, spicy and sweet. Makes about 16 pints

A family recipe from Kentucky - the western end, not the "blue-grass" area.

4 pounds green tomatoes

3 large or 4 medium barely ripe mangoes (other fruit can be substituted, firm peaches, tart, firm apples, barely ripe papaya or similar fruits. You should have about 6 pounds of fruit.

3 large yellow onions (do not use the very mild or "sweet" onions)

6 banana peppers (hot) peeled and seeded. You can also use other medium hot peppers of your choice. If using smaller peppers use enough so you have about 1 1/4 cup of chopped peppers.

1 cup sultanas or other light or golden raisins.

2 cups raw sugar, use turbinado or light brown as a substitute. Or you can use 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup dark molasses.

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger - if not available, use 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger.

2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt (Diamond Flake) if you use the finer grind use only 2 tablespoons.

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups apple cider vinegar

Water

Blanch and peel the tomatoes, peaches, peel the other fruit and remove cores and seeds.

Chop all fresh ingredients into 1/2 inch dice, approximately.

Place the vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger, spices and raisins into a large non-reactive pot.

Bring to a boil.

Add all the fruit and onions, stir well. If more liquid is needed to cover the fruit, add up to 1 1/2 cups of water.

After liquid has returned to a boil continue cooking for about 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

The mixture should be thick and the fruit should look slightly translucent.

About 2/3 through the simmering time, remove some to a small dish, taste and adjust flavor, adding additional spices, salt or sugar if necessary.

At this point you can also add fruit syrups, hot sauces, etc., to adjust the taste if desired.

This is a very versatile recipe, stamp your own mark on it by varying it to suit your taste.

When done, ladle into hot sterilized jars. Clean the top rim of the jars carefully, place the lids and add rings loosely. Process in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Finished amount can vary depending on how much the fruit cooks down. I have gotten as much as 20 pints using very firm fruit.

My grandfather liked this made with coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts cooked with the fruit. So there was always a separate smaller pot prepared the way he liked it. I still make a couple of pints this way, just for old times.

Andie

Edited October 18, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Chris Amirault]

After making some corned beef the other day, I realized I wanted to be able to tailor the mustard to my cure. Thus, I have been following Andie's recipe above for mustard using the following:

1/3 c brown mustard seeds

1/3 c yellow mustard seeds

1/2 c mirin

1/2 rice vinegar

1 t white sugar

After an overnight soak, I blended the seeds until the seeds had broken up. (I had to add probably 1/4 c water overall.) I did not add the fruit base at the next step, but instead pressed the mustard through a medium sieve to get out most (not all; I'm not going for dijon purity here) of the hulls. I'm now letting it sit in the fridge for a bit.

After the thickening tomorrow, I think I'm doing to make two batches, one a sweeter one with more sugar and some roasted garlic and the other a sinus-clearing one with reconstituted horseradish powder. Results to follow.

Is anyone else making condiments this season?

[andiesenji]

I'm always making condiments.

Right at the moment I have some mustard seed soaking, which has been "working" for a couple of weeks. It certainly won't hurt it to sit around for awhile.

I plan on using some of the boiled cider syrup with a little of it to see how that develops.

I am going to make a batch of mushroom ketchup as soon as a box of 'shrooms I ordered arrives.

And I am going to make chili sauce next weekend, my neighbors and I are getting together to make a large batch - at least a hundred pints. We make the basic stuff in the big batch then "adjust" our own for the flavor and heat we want.

I also have a batch of sambal that is aging or maturing prior to final adjustments, diluting, "tasting" and canning.

The tasting of sambal is tricky, as only minute amounts can be tasted due to the extreme heat of the chiles. I employ rice as a carrier and simply stick a new bambook skewer into the sambal then stir the rice with it. That will allow me to check the flavor as well as the potency of the chiles without my tastebuds suffering from sensory overload!

I want to mention one thing about making the sweet or sweeter mustard. If you can find palm sugar - the wet stuff in a jar, try using that to sweeten a small batch of mustard.

It does have a flavor that is stronger or more assertive than cane or beet sugar and it seems to me that it "marries" nicely with the mustard. I don't mean that you should run right out and buy some, but just keep it in mind for the future.

Edited October 8, 2007 by andiesenji (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I've got palm sugar in the pantry. Thanks for the rec! I'll report on how it goes.

[catinthehat]

Wow - great topic!!

I love to make all kinds of things from scratch, but hadn't really thought of mustard. I will be trying this very soon. Thanks so much for the detailed posts and photos!

My dad used to make the most amazing homemade catsup that tasted like a cross between regular catsup and BBQ sauce. I've asked him for the recipe, but he cooks like I do (just throw in what you've got and see what happens) and he can't find a recipe, nor can he remember how it did it (it was 20 years ago). Does anyone out there have a homemade catsup recipe that sounds similar? I would love to make a bunch of it. Thanks for any help.

[Terrasanct]

Does anyone here have a recipe for any Asian red chili sauces? There are a few kinds I love, but haven't been able to find a recipe for them.

[fiftydollars]

Hello Andie,

Would you mind sharing your basic sambal recipe?

I have a lot of peppers in my garden right now and I am hoping they will be good for making a chile paste.

Thank you!

[Pam R]

I want to mention one thing about making the sweet or sweeter mustard.  If you can find palm sugar - the wet stuff in a jar, try using that to sweeten a small batch of mustard. 

It does have a flavor that is stronger or more assertive than cane or beet sugar and it seems to me that it "marries" nicely with the mustard.  I don't mean that you should run right out and buy some, but just keep it in mind for the future.

←

I'd also suggest brown sugar instead of white.

[andiesenji]

Hello Andie,

Would you mind sharing your basic sambal recipe?

I have a lot of peppers in my garden right now and I am hoping they will be good for making a chile paste.

Thank you!

←

My recipe varies all the time but this is what I use as a rough guide:

Sambal

about 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped dried whole chiles. Plump in a little water, or I steam them till soft. Remove seeds and any stem, fibrous ribs, etc., then chop.

I use a combination of several chiles and it varies depending on what I have on hand.

I like the inclusion of anchos, though not traditional and of course the hot chiles.

4 to 6 large garlic cloves

1 small onion, or half a larger one, cut in quarters and roasted in a little oil with the garlic

1/4 cup palm (wet) sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or fresh galangal

about 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (coconut or palm vinegar if you have it)

up to 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, use more if you like the flavor

1/2 teaspoon 5-spice powder

coconut or palm oil - 1 tablespoon or so.

I steam the chiles before trying to seed and stem them, then chop them into manageable pieces.

I like to bash them in a mortar while the garlic and onion is roasting, adding the sugar, salt and ginger or galangal.

When the garlic and onion are roasted (similar to confit) I add that and the vinegar and bash and blend everything into a paste.

I scrape this into a skillet into which I have placed a dollop of oil, about a tablespoon or so, and fry it over low heat, stirring constantly for a minute or two.

Add the tamarind paste and the 5-spice powder. You can substitute any spices you like, this is not carved in stone.

Continue cooking until it is evenly “browned” to a deep caramel color.

There are some great recipes at Asia Recipe.com

I don't use the shrimp paste or other seafood ingredients because I am allergic to shrimp.

[infernooo]

When making home-made mustard, has anyone else found that making your own sucks and the store bought stuff is way better? I swear I followed all the recipes in here 100% and just didn't care for the taste of the final product... and I'm not very fussy either. (This isn't intended to offend, just my observations / personal tastes)

[Lindacakes]

Sister Andie,

Thank you so much for these wonderful recipes. I have a confession to make: I am afraid of canning. I'm fascinated by canning, I own several books, I collect recipes, but I'm afraid. You made the comment about garlic and botulism. What's up with that? Botulism? Argh. I am afraid of canning.

Your disciple,

Linda

My meager contribution: Chili Colorado

I freeze this in little half cup containers and put it on all sorts of things, but especially Trader Joe's chili cheese tamales, often adding guacamole, black beans, etc.

[andiesenji]

Sister Andie,

Thank you so much for these wonderful recipes.  I have a confession to make:  I am afraid of canning.  I'm fascinated by canning, I own several books, I collect recipes, but I'm afraid.  You made the comment about garlic and botulism.  What's up with that?  Botulism?  Argh.  I am afraid of canning.

Your disciple,

Linda

My meager contribution:  Chili Colorado

I freeze this in little half cup containers and put it on all sorts of things, but especially Trader Joe's chili cheese tamales, often adding guacamole, black beans, etc.

←

I never, ever, infuse garlic in oil without heating it. The spore that cause botulism are destroyed once the material is heated to a certain point and held at that point for a certain time.

Acid foods above a certain percentage of acid also INHIBIT the growth and development of the toxins produced by the spores.

Long, slow roasting of garlic in oil, which is how I treat a lot of garlic, will destroy the botulinum bacteria.

The government regulations require commercial processors to cook potentially dangerous foods (low acid foods) at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes.

That is the key for killing the bacteria itself.

Now, one has to remember that if one has a can or a jar of possibly contaminated food, the bacteria has already produced the toxins that cause the disease. Do NOT use anything that has been canned, jarred and or processes, i.e. cold-infused oils, oil-processed peppers, green beans, etc.

Anything pickled with acid content above 4.0 is just fine.

Read this Wikipedia article about: Botulism

On much older threads, I have described my method of slow-roasting garlic in a pot full of oil.

I store this at room temperature in my pantry. I have used numerous gallons of the stuff during the past 30-some years and never had a problem.

I used to buy fresh garlic but for the past few years have bought the big containers of peeled garlic at Costco, Sam's Club or Smart & Final.

I put the garlic in a 6-quart deep roasting pan or Dutch oven (often a Corning Visions Dutch oven), add a jug of virgin olive oil - I like the stuff in the gallon tin container. Extra-virgin is not needed, just the regular stuff, mild is better than the strong green stuff.

The pot goes into the cold oven and the temp is set to 275 degrees F. The timer is set for two hours.

At the end of that time I will fish out one or two of the largest garlic cloves, mash them on a piece of bread and see if the roasting has reached the level of sweetness that I want. Sometimes, if the cloves are really huge, it will take another hour.

Needless to say, you and most of the people in your neighborhood will be aware that you are cooking the garlic. Unless someone really hates the stuff, it is not unpleasant. For people who really like garlic, it is lovely.

You can give it a try in much smaller batches but you must check the temp of the oil with a candy or frying thermometer to make sure it reaches 250 degrees F and stays there at least three minutes and that is in the bottom of the pot where the garlic cloves have settled.

Ladle it into a clean, dry jar and cap it tightly. When you are ready to use it, scald a ladle or tongs and dry them well, to retrieve some of the garlic cloves and pour out as much oil as you want.

As long as you don't introduce any moisture into the oil, it will keep at room temp for a few months without any hint of rancidity. If you do get some water into it, you can store it in the fridge but but the entire jar inside something that you can seal. Otherwise the entire fridge will smell and taste of garlic.

For other stuff, try canning pickles, tomatoes or tomato sauce. The acid content is so high botulism is not a danger.

[andiesenji]

When making home-made mustard, has anyone else found that making your own sucks and the store bought stuff is way better? I swear I followed all the recipes in here 100% and just didn't care for the taste of the final product... and I'm not very fussy either. (This isn't intended to offend, just my observations / personal tastes)

←

Certainly no offense is or should be taken!

You have to please yourself. Some people don't like whole grain mustard and some people don't like sweet mustards.

The companies who produce mustard commercially have spend many millions on perfecting a product that will appeal to the most people. At least now one knows the contents contain nothing that is harmful.

At one time people liked to make their own mustard because when it was made in small factories or shops, the owners sometime added other stuff to extend the mustard. Some really weird stuff was added.

By all means continue to use whatever you like. Making one's own is just an adventure in seeing how much diversity can be developed in the home kitchen.

[Jmahl]

What a brilliant idea. I will be trying to make a batch of mustard soon.

Jmahl

[infernooo]

When making home-made mustard, has anyone else found that making your own sucks and the store bought stuff is way better? I swear I followed all the recipes in here 100% and just didn't care for the taste of the final product... and I'm not very fussy either. (This isn't intended to offend, just my observations / personal tastes)

←

Certainly no offense is or should be taken!

You have to please yourself. Some people don't like whole grain mustard and some people don't like sweet mustards.

The companies who produce mustard commercially have spend many millions on perfecting a product that will appeal to the most people. At least now one knows the contents contain nothing that is harmful.

At one time people liked to make their own mustard because when it was made in small factories or shops, the owners sometime added other stuff to extend the mustard. Some really weird stuff was added.

By all means continue to use whatever you like. Making one's own is just an adventure in seeing how much diversity can be developed in the home kitchen.

←

Thanks for the reply :-).

The funny thing is, I really am not very fussy which is why I found it strange that something potentially so good (home made stuff is 99% of the time better than store bought) didn't fare too well with me. I bought top quality stuff, tried letting it mature for just a day, a few days, a week, a few weeks... but it still tasted a bit off and flat.

Also, I love both sweet and spicy and wholegrain and smooth mustards - I love them all which once again makes me wonder if there is something I am doing wrong.

[fiftydollars]

Hello Andie,

Would you mind sharing your basic sambal recipe?

I have a lot of peppers in my garden right now and I am hoping they will be good for making a chile paste.

Thank you!

←

My recipe varies all the time but this is what I use as a rough guide:

Sambal

about 1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped dried whole chiles. Plump in a little water, or I steam them till soft. Remove seeds and any stem, fibrous ribs, etc., then chop.

I use a combination of several chiles and it varies depending on what I have on hand.

I like the inclusion of anchos, though not traditional and of course the hot chiles.

4 to 6 large garlic cloves

1 small onion, or half a larger one, cut in quarters and roasted in a little oil with the garlic

1/4 cup palm (wet) sugar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or fresh galangal

about 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (coconut or palm vinegar if you have it)

up to 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, use more if you like the flavor

1/2 teaspoon 5-spice powder

coconut or palm oil - 1 tablespoon or so.

I steam the chiles before trying to seed and stem them, then chop them into manageable pieces.

I like to bash them in a mortar while the garlic and onion is roasting, adding the sugar, salt and ginger or galangal.

When the garlic and onion are roasted (similar to confit) I add that and the vinegar and bash and blend everything into a paste.

I scrape this into a skillet into which I have placed a dollop of oil, about a tablespoon or so, and fry it over low heat, stirring constantly for a minute or two.

Add the tamarind paste and the 5-spice powder. You can substitute any spices you like, this is not carved in stone.

Continue cooking until it is evenly “browned” to a deep caramel color.

There are some great recipes at Asia Recipe.com

I don't use the shrimp paste or other seafood ingredients because I am allergic to shrimp.

←

Thanks, Andie!

[Lindacakes]

Thanks, Andie. I know the jars of garlic you're talking about and the tins of olive oil. I'll give it a try!