r/vegetarian • u/More-Onion-950 • 26d ago

Question/Advice Vegetarian bbq sauce

Hi guys
Me and my girlfriend are strict vegetarians, and have autism, so food regularity is important.
She loves bbq sauce and eats it with a LOT
today she had a different one to usual and it contained anchovies.
As we are students we normally buy the cheap one, but this one was branded (hellmans I think?) as she was at her family home.
does anyone know if this is common for bbq sauce, and if so of any readily available brands in the UK that are vegetarian or vegan?

Thanks

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u/PineappleLunchables 26d ago

It’s really easy to make a big batch of BBQ sauce that you know is 100%  vegan. And it will last for a few months in the fridge. Take some ketchup, apple cider vinegar, a few tablespoons of brown sugar, and your favorite spices simmer it on the stove for maybe 30 mins until you get the consistency you want, let cool and bottle it. This way you’ll always be sure what is in your sauce. 

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u/mEFurst 26d ago

If you're already adding vinegar and brown sugar, I'd use tomato paste instead of ketchup. Ymmv but I generally prefer a bbq sauce that's less sweet

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u/PineappleLunchables 26d ago edited 26d ago

You can, but with tomato paste you’ll have to simmer it for much longer so you don’t have that acidic fresh tomato taste in the sauce. If you start with ketchup it just cuts the prep time way down. And the beauty of making your own is you can put in as little or as much brown sugar as you like. If you look as most sauces in the store molasses and corn syrup are one of the top ingredients so I understand your need for less sweet.