The long awaited summer is here. Time to bring out the burgers, hotdogs, and classic barbecue fare!

But if you're one of a growing number of sensitive eaters, barbecues can be a frustrating, bland experience if you need preservative- or gluten-free sauces and condiments for your barbecue.

While homemade, gluten-free condiments may not last as long as their store-bought counterpart, the taste and health benefits are well worth the effort. Even if you don't have food sensitivities, you'll love the rich taste of homemade condiments that are so easy to make. Just remember to store sauces in the refrigerator, and eat up products with dairy or egg ingredients within 2 weeks.

Here are some basic recipes for more natural, homemade condiments you can make in about 10 minutes.

Homemade Ketchup
The flavour of tomato is so unique and rich it shouldn't need additives and spices to dress it up. Cut each tomato in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and surrounding soft pulpy jelly into a bowl. Push the soft pulp through a sieve, to remove the seeds and any hard pieces, and pour the juice and soft jelly into a pot. At this stage, you can add a teaspoon or two of vinegar for a more tangy ketchup. Simmer the mixture, stirring often, and reduce until it is a thick syrupy consistency. Once finished, add a pinch of salt to season the ketchup, and add some sugar to sweeten, if necessary.

Tip: Choose juicy, rich-looking tomatoes, and allow them to fully ripen near a window with some sunlight. This yields more flavourful ketchup.

See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: Chunky Tomato Pear Ketchup

Homemade Mustard
Make your own mustard with a few simple ingredients. Blend together a few tablespoons of yellow mustard seeds or a blend of yellow and brown mustard seeds, then equal amounts of white vinegar, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, and sugar in a blender. Blend until smooth.

See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: L'Ancienne Mustard

Page 1 of 2 -- Find great tips for making homemade mayo, gluten-free teriyaki sauce and natural sour cream on page 2Homemade Ranch Dressing
Using a hand blender, mix together equal parts gluten-free mayonnaise (see below) and buttermilk. Combine with 1 to 2 teaspoons each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, dill, parsley, and pepper. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing

Homemade Mayonnaise
Fresh mayonnaise is incredibly easy to make. Using a whisk or in a blender, mix together 1 egg yolk with the juice of 1 lemon. Whisking quickly, or with the blender running, slowly drizzle in one cup of olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture is thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Natural Sour Cream
To make your own sour cream, add 2 tablespoons of buttermilk to 1 cup of whipping cream in a sterilized jar. With the lid on, shake the mixture to combine, and let sit in room temperature for 24 hours to thicken.

Homemade Barbecue sauce
By making your own barbecue sauce, not only is it gluten-free, you can adjust the seasonings to your liking. The base to the sauce is equal parts ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar. Additional seasonings may include tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Go ahead and experiment!
Caution: Check that all ingredients going into the sauce to ensure they are gluten-free as well.

See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: Basic Southwest Barbecue Sauce

Homemade Teriyaki sauce
Great over meat or fish, teriyaki sauce is an excellent for grilling. But it is commonly made with soy sauce, which usually contains gluten. To make a gluten-free version, combine equal parts of Tamari and Mirin or Sake in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of sugar to taste. Let simmer for a few minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens a little. Not into sugar? Substitute the sugar with brown rice syrup or agave syrup. For a more customized blend, you can add grated ginger, sesame oil, and chilies to taste.

See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: Teriyaki sauce

Homemade Chocolate sauce or syrup
Chocolate sauce is extremely easy to make. Just melt dark chocolate with table cream or whipping cream together in a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave. Stir frequently so that the bottom doesn't scorch.

See our Tested Till Perfect recipe: Rich Chocolate Sauce

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