How Fresh Raspberries Can Give Your BBQ Sauce A Fruity Twist

The beauty of homemade barbecue sauce is that you can take it in any flavor direction you choose. Prefer yours on the sugary side? Pump it full of honey, molasses, or maple syrup, aka the three best additions to make it sweeter and stickier. Want some more tang instead? Incorporate some mustard like the South Carolinians do. And if you like yours to have a bit of a kick, a sriracha mix-in is a fantastic way to heat up a basic barbecue sauce. But if a fruity twist is what you're craving, go for some fresh raspberries instead. 

Although they have some sweetness like any other fruit, raspberries are almost equally tart, so they'll bring the perfect balance of sugary and tangy flavors to your recipe. And while it may sound odd to incorporate this ingredient in barbecue sauce, it's the perfect way to lighten up a richer, deeper condiment, especially for spring and summer meals. Plus, as evidenced by recipes like our Rye Flatbreads with Prosciutto and Raspberry, these little red gems can hold their own in savory dishes.

Making any barbecue sauce is a pretty easy process, even ones with fresh raspberries. Essentially, you'll want to combine all of your ingredients in a saucepan over the stove, then simmer them for up to 15 minutes while stirring frequently until everything thickens, softens, and combines. The only difference here? You'll want to break up your raspberries as they cook, either with a fork or a potato masher, for an even consistency.

The other ingredients can vary widely, which may affect the amount of raspberries you use. For instance, if you want the fruits to be the star of the show, you can use about 1 cup of them in your recipe. In our Sweet, Spicy, Smoky Raspberry Ribs, for example, Tasting Table recipe developer Michelle McGlinn deploys 6 ounces of the fruit along with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of chipotles in adobo sauce. But if you're incorporating a full can of tomato sauce, you'll want to up your fruit inclusion so they're not drowned out. Other delicious ingredients to work with are apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and lemon juice to build on the raspberries' tartness; molasses, honey, and ketchup to add to their sweetness; and pickle juice, hot sauce, and mustard for an extra flavor punch.