I love using unconventional ingredients in cooking.
Some of my favorite ways to do this are to make savory dishes with fruit. In the past, I’ve used peaches with chicken and blueberries with salmon, but this one may be my new favorite.
This year’s dewberry bushes have been producing like crazy! So with pounds upon pounds of dewberries coming in every day, I’ve had to get creative with how to use these things. There’s just only so many desserts we can eat!
Out of experimentation, I tried my hand at making a barbecue sauce and OMG I have found the answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?”. This BBQ sauce is so good! It’s a sweet, tangy, Tennessee kind of barbecue sauce and it is just perfect!
What Are Dewberries?
Dewberries are a smaller version of a blackberry. They’re a little more tart than a traditional blackberry, but grow in a bush more like a raspberry.
Where Do You Find Dewberries?
Bushes. No, but really they’re usually found in undeveloped areas – and only during the Summer. They are red until they’re ripe and ready for the picking. Word of advice…be careful of the thorns! The larger the plant, the more intense those thorns can be.
How Do You Wash and Prepare Dewberries?
Since you are picking something that is found in nature, chances are that “nature” is going to try to come home with you. One way to flush it all out and make sure your berries are clean is to put the dewberries in a bowl and cover it with 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Completely immerse them. Stir them occasionally and let them soak for a good 10 minutes.
Once they’re done, you’ll see tiny caterpillars, ants, and all sorts of stuff float up to the top. Strain and rinse them well. Pat them dry and keep them in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to use.
What Can You Make With Dewberries?
You really can think of dewberries just as any other berry, so feel free to experiment and use them like you would blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries. They’d be great on an angel food cake, in a cocktail, or blended in a smoothie. Have fun with it!
Dewberry BBQ Sauce Recipe
Dewberry Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blackberries
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon juice only
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon horseradish
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Add dewberries and chicken stock to a medium pot over high heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until dewberries start to break down, about 6-7 minutes.
- Then let the dewberry mixture cool a bit and blend well with an immersion blender.
- Press dewberries through a mesh strainer to remove seeds. Add sauce back to pot and bring back to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add other ingredients to the pot and continue to simmer until sauce is really thick and coats the back of a spoon.
- Season BBQ sauce with salt and brush it on chicken or pork. Works great on the grill or roasted.
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