Very Berry Hot: Small Manufacturer Shares Passion for Berry-BBQ Sauces

Raspberry BBQ Sauce Blackberry or Marionberry BBQ Sauce Strawberry or Blueberry BBQ Sauce

Judy England, owner of SweetSides is concerned that a much larger company is attempting to "clone" her sauces. "Berries make wonderful barbecue sauces--I am passionate about it," she says. She adds that she has nothing against tomatoes, the typical barbecue sauce base. After recently giving away 500 two-ounce, sample jars of her Marionberry, raspberry and blueberry BBQ sauces at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference in Minneapolis, MN, she discovered that one giant company has been trying to replicate her sauces.

"Imagine--my little company’s berry sauces have stirred the imagination and the cooking pots of a major food manufacturer!" she wrote in a press release. "A restaurant chain in my beloved Pacific Northwest has also cracked open my jars and put their chefs to work analyzing, experimenting and duplicating."

But Judy is not worried. "Now, being a tiny manufacturer, I could view their cloning efforts with alarm. As a berry advocate I’ve opted to share--especially now as summer’s peak berry season approaches. It’s more important to me that the world discovers the beauty of these fantastic berries than that I have a saleable commodity hoarded in my corner."

So, amazingly enough, Judy has released recipes so that consumers can make their own berry-based barbecue sauces. She adds: "Make your own adjustments. Try your own ideas. Most of all, tell your friends and neighbors about the wonder of berry sauces. Spread the word, spread the sauces on some ribs and join my berry passion!"

• 3 cups fresh raspberries, crushed, strain some of the seeds out if possible

• 1 cup yellow mustard

• ½ cup vinegar

• ½ cup brown sugar, packed

• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke

• 2 tablespoons. Tabasco sauce

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon. ground pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients together in a saucepan heating to a boil; lower heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Excellent served on pork ribs and any pork meats.

Yield: 1 quart

Heat Scale: Medium

• ¼ cup butter

• ¼ cup chopped onion

• 1 teaspoon. chopped garlic

• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoon molasses

• 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 3 cups fresh blackberries, crushed

Heat the butter in a saucepan, add onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients including the berries and cook for about 10 minutes in a slow simmer. You may wish to let this reduce down a bit if the sauce appears too thin. This is a great sauce for beef, and is great on steaks.

Yield: About 3 cups

Heat Scale: Mild

• 3 cups fresh blueberries or strawberries, crushed

• 1 ½ cups white vinegar

• ½ cup brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon white pepper

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon red pepper

• 1 bay leaf

Blend the ingredients and cook together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 8 – 10 minutes. Best served at room temperature or warm. Excellent served on duck or turkey.

Yield: About 3 cups

Heat Scale: Mild

Judy England is the owner of SweetSides, which manufactures four of her award-winning berry BBQ sauces. Her sauces are available in Oregon and Washington gift stores statewide and online in both food service and retail version nationally at www.sweetsides.com