Do u make u'r own BBQ sauce??

If so are u willing to share u'r secret or not?

I make mine and if we have 15 replys or more I will post it!

Yes...and no.

Yes for pulled pork, I buy sauce for ribs.

No-but would love some recipes!!!

I have a couple of recipes that I would give as gifts for Christmas. There were a few styles that I would make. At the time they were unique, but now it seems like old hat..
There was my standard basic one, and then there were my Watermelon BBQ, Cola BBQ, and my favorite which was a Korean style. There was a time that I even considered marketing them but as I looked at the store shelves, I realized that this is a crowded market. Maybe too crowded... and growing still.
I don't make any sauces now, though I do have all the fixins' if I feel so inclined. I do have a few bottles in the pantry that I buy when I go to the Job Lots store. You can find some interesting brands for sale at low, low prices.
The only BBQ sauce I make is when I have lamb ribs. For that I make a mustard/mint BBQ sauce.


mark

Yes I do!I can control the heat and amount of sugar in it and its a lot cheaper and better than the bottle stuff.

No, I use two bottled sauces. My mild sauce is from Oklahoma and my hot sauce is from Alabama. But I do doctor the mild sauce for competitions.

John

I attempted to a couple times, but I still haven't found a good recipe. *hint hint*

I have a GREAT recipe. Better than anything I've ever tasted, store bought or otherwise. If I gave it to ya, I'd have to kill ya!

I usually use some Sweet Baby Ray's. Very good stuff.

I've never really stopped to think about it too much until now. I make my own sauce for BBQ/baked beans. Generally, depending on which meat I'm cooking, I choose from a small selection of bottled products I've come to use as my "A-Listers" over the years. When I have taken the time to make my own I haven't been let down.

Yes, I make my own. It's actually quite basic...ketchup, chile sauce, brown sugar, L&P, A1, soy sauce, a dash of Liquid Smoke and of course, chipotles....more or less depending on how hot you want it.

I prefer my (great BBQ) sans sauce, thank you.

I usually use bottled sauce; either Sweet Baby Ray's or Cattleman's. If I have time I make it.

14th.

done...go

Will we have 15 hardy souls so here is mine:
It is called Sweet Mary's....
1 C apple cider vinegar
1 C Tomato Puree( have tried sauce and paste, does not work as well as puree)
3 C water
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C Grandma's molasses
1 t(teaspoon)salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
2 t liquid smoke
1 C Karo corn syrup
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t prepared mustard
4 T(tablespoons) of corn starch
2 oz soy sauce
1/2 of fresh ground red pepper.

toss everything into medium sized s/s pot. Bring to boil and turn heat down to slow simmer. Simmer for an hour or so.

This will give u a excellent BBQ sauce wityh just a touch of back of the throat tingle. To make it taste like sweet Babby Ray's leave out the red pepper flakes and the ground red pepper. To make it Red Hot add more ground red pepper. I serve it all three ways.
The one with the slight tingle is by far the most popular.

for baked beans, I mix ketchup, molasses. brown sugar, chopped onions and drippings from bacon. I fry the bacon until it starts to brown, pour most of the drippings off before adding the rest, then lay the strips of bacon on top before baking.

i make 3 different varieties.
sorry but my wife would kill me if i gave out the recipes.
if i'm in a bind and don't have time i'll use tony roma's original and carolina honey equal amounts of each for heat some cayen pepper.
ron

That sauce looks pretty good, genewj!

My only standard for store bought sauces is no high fructose corn syrup; if I were making your recipe, I would leave out the Karo and sub brown sugar to taste.

I haven't made sauce from scratch in years. My favorite recipe was from Jane Butel's BBQ cookbook. I have it cached somewhere.


Tom

Tom, i agree, but i deal with a particular class of peeps and they do not mind it or as much SALT as they can put on food. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! karo is what they get!

yes:

ketchup
worchester sauce
brown sugar
honey
beer
mustard
spices

I never found a BBQ sauce I liked. Chicagoans love sweet sauce but they are too sweet for me. So I make this one. Got the recipe off the Internet.

1C ketchup
1/2C brown sugar
2t salt
1t pepper
4T cider vinegar
2T lemon juice
4T Worcestershire
2t mustard
1t chili powder
1/4C water
1T oil
1t paprika
hot sauce to taste

simmer 30-40 minutes. you may want to cut back on the vinegar.

LOL! I love the:

14th.

done...go

That's priceless!!!

Thanks Gene! Nice of ya to share your recipe with the rest of us... Now comes the kitchen hacking to make it better..

That looks like some good sauce. I ain't gonna make it but I would surely eat it with pleasure.

Me, I regard the sauce as, well, sauce. Not the heart of the experience but something people can use if they feel like it. I usually do a ketchup-based sauce and I just chuck in whatever I've got in the fridge and the spice cabinet until it tastes right. Molasses, horseradish, chilis and hot sauce and Worcestershire, cumin and black pepper, a sliced lemon...

The last time I put in too much cardamom -- my sister and wife loved it, my dad and brother-in-law didn't. It's interesting to see those moments when gender differences break down into the standard Fred and Wilma thing...

This is my "Sweet KC style" sauce that I use for my que. I have used it for 15 + years.

2 12oz cans tomato paste
1 12oz can of your favorite adult malt/hops beverage (use a good one)
1 cup molasses
1 cup steen's cane syrup
1 cup honey
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP chili powder
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP garlic powder
2 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP rubbed sage
1 TBSP salt
1 TBSP liquid smoke
1 TBSP cayenne ground
1/2 tsp ground bay leaf
1-2 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes

Put all ingredients in a large stainless saucepan

Bring to a boil, stirring to mix everything well

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes

Stir occaisinally to keep from scorching

Makes about 10 cups.

I make my own sauces, but none of them are original recipes:

Mark's South Carolina Mustard Sauce (courtesy of eGullet/recipegullet)
Vinegar NC sauce from Raichlen's BBQ USA
Ridgewood (northeast TN) sauce from Mills' Peace, Love and BBQ
Nashville sweet sauce from Raichlen's BBQ USA

Generally, I only get to make BBQ when we're entertaining a large group. Since I never know what style of sauce people like, I tend to just make them all and let people pick. I really haven't found my groove yet, though. While they taste fine, none of them are THE sauce. The sweet sauce could use a little less ketchup, the Ridgewood is a little heavy on the onion, the vinegar sauce is so basic that it's hard to label it as anything other than unremarkable. My favorite is probably the mustard sauce, but nobody in our family really is into it because they're not used to it. They want it to be like some generic kc masterpiece sauce or the vinegar sauce a lot of local places (Whitt's) offers.

I make my own, so does my brother and sister using recipe handed down from our mom who got it from a neighbor in Oklahoma--secret, sorry! Although I have taken the base sauce and adapted with apple and bourbon to use for marinade, baste and/or glaze. Yumm!

I make several of my own recipes, one vinegar based, a vinegar based mop, and a couple variations of a basic tomato base....I add honey, or Jalepeno's, or bourbon, or whatever I feel like to change it up a bit.

BUT the one I always keep on hand isn't my own creation, it's one I found on the internet and it is fantastic. I do admit there have been times when I've claimed it as my own....LOL

It's called The Shack, based on a Q joint somewhere that has long since closed according to the site I found the recipe on. I'm sure there are Roadfooder's that have had the real thing and can attest to the zesty goodness of this sauce.

It may seem spicy, but some how when it goes on the meat or even when ya dunk a piece of good bread for a taste, it seems to mellow out and taste....well perfect.

Enjoy, and if your search "The Shack BBQ Sauce" you'll find the same site I did, well worth looking up the website as it is a very entertaining read.

Wet Stuff
Mix in a large bowl:

3 - 24 ounce bottle of ketchup (catsup)
Use the plastic ones, we will refill after making sauce.

Fill with hot water, swoosh around and dump contents into bowl.
Folks have asked: HOW MUCH WATER? Fill all three bottles, and dump all 72 oz into 'Wet Stuff'
(For original recipe use Grapette from Wal Mart- see 'additional notes').

Pour in plain ole cheap vinegar. "THE" recipe calls for just less than a quart, do not sweat this. use anywhere from a pint to a quart, strangely, this amount has scant effect on final product.

Put "wet stuff' in a LARGE pan, put heat on "high"
by the time it is approaching a boil, you will have "dry stuff' prepared.
Dry Stuff:
Since you dumped wet stuff out of bowl, why not use for 'dry'?
Into bowl, dump:

1 - 4 ounce can of chili powder
1 - 4 ounce can of black pepper
1 - 4 ounce can of garlic salt (SALT, NOT garlic powder!!!)
1/2 cup - sugar (is the ORIGINAL amount, why not TRY that, and adjust to your very own taste after 'brewing' mess up...likewise with Tabasco. See below)
1 - small Tabasco (anywhere from 1 to 4 ounces..start with about 1 oz...you can 'play' to taste after whole mess is completed.
1 - small mustard (size of an apple, just regular ole smear on a hotdog yeller mustard)

Stir
...btw, easier to put the mustard in last, and just swirl around till it looks like chocolaty brown tar.
Simmer
Dump all this stuff into pan on stove now approaching a simmer if you have been quick, and if you rinsed out the catsup with HOT water;-)

stir enough to make it evenly liquid...bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to a simmer.

30 minutes, (stir fairly often to avoid sticking).. during which the vinegar will bring sweat to your forehead, and tears to your eyes...think ventilation here.
Finish
That is it.
Remove from heat, pour back into bottles you saved, unfortunately, you will have an excess of sauce. Improvise, all life has dry rot.

You now have a LOT of sauce. I always do, and find it MOST welcome as a gift.
BTW, there is no need to refrigerate your sauce supply, even if you inhabit hot and humid southern climes! Apparently mischievous microbes refrain from causing problems in gratitude for being immersed in this tomato based necter, or are immobilized by the ingredients rendering them deliciously inert.

I usually use Stubbs but sometime I make my own. When I make my own sauce I use these ingredients:

tomato paste
apple cider vinegar
onion
garlic
dry mustard
brown sugar
some Butt Rub
ground black pepper
sea salt

I put all of the ingredients together and boil, then simmer until I put in on the meat.

[B)

quote:

Originally posted by cd348

I usually use Stubbs but sometime I make my own. When I make my own sauce I use these ingredients:

tomato paste
apple cider vinegar
onion
garlic
dry mustard
brown sugar
some Butt Rub
ground black pepper
sea salt

I put all of the ingredients together and boil, then simmer until I put in on the meat.

Butt Rub

Yeah, what is the Butt Rub all about?

You would not believe this BBQ sauce. We get raves over it and there is nothing special about it. No special tricks, or additions.

1/2 cup onions, chopped med fine
3 T. bacon drippings
3/4 cup apple juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup chili sauce
1 t. fresh ground black pepper
1 t. Creole or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup catsup

Saute the onions in the bacon drippings until onions are light brown.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce the reat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.If you want to kick it up with heat add cayenne, red pepper flakes, or those little red chili peppers.
THATS ALL FOLKS!

Back in the day my uncle who was the BBQ King in our family would only baste his meats (ribs, chicken, fish, roast) with lard/fat from the meat and those little red hot chili peppers which he would put in a pot, bring to a boil and then simmer on a very low fire. He called it "Dippny" and he would baste the meat about every 20 minutes or so.That meat would taste so delicious!
LOL!

A note about bottled store BBQ sauce. I like the BBQ sauce they sell at Trader Joes. It is called TJ's and it is very good!

Butt Rub is actually Bad Byron's Butt Rub, a mixture of spices and chipotle pepper. It adds a smoky flavor. I don't like to use liquid smoke because it adds hickory flavor and I don't always want a hickory flavored sauce.

My mom (from Texas) made the BEST bbq sauce. I remember seeing her recipe written down when I was young, and then it disappeared. The only thing I remember for sure seeing in the recipe was curry powder, among the usual ingredients. When I was young, curry powder was SO exotic!, and she never used it for anything else.

I got some Sweet Baby Ray's a couple of days ago after seeing it mentioned here. It was ok, I've had ones I like better, but I mixed it 2 parts to 2 parts Kraft Honey BBQ sauce and 1 part German Hot Flash Ketchup from a specialty foods type store up in the mountains to the west, and it was absolutely wonderful. Spicy and tangy and just enough sweetness.

If I could get the recipe for Pecos Pit in Seattles sauce, I would be a very happy woman :)

You can check it out here:

http://buttrub.com/catalog.html

Try the peanuts, they're are pretty tastey!

Byron is a really nice guy, and one you are gonna have to beat when competing.

Here's the recipe I've been using for app 2 years now as an all purpose sauce. I never put it on the meat while grilling or smoking. I put it on the table as an option for those who want sauce.


JimBob's BBQ Sauce

1-2 cups Heinz ketchup
2-3 Tbls cheap yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-4 Tbls molasses
1/2 cup white distilled or cider vinegar
2-3 "dabs" hot sauce
1-2 Tbls ground red cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbls paprika
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
pinch onion powder
2-3 dabs worchestire sauce
black and white pepper to taste
If using for chicken or pork, add a few pinches each of rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Heat to low boil- simmer for 30 minutes

This is my favorite for pulled pork:

3/4 cup yellow mustard
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients, stirring to blend.
Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

This is slightly off topic, but this is the marinade I use for salmon:

Smoked Salmon Marinade

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1-2 Tbls lemon juice
1-2 Tbls mustard
1/3 cup molasses
1-2 teaspoons ginger
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
pinch basil

Bring everything to a low simmer- cool, marinade overnight, or at least 8 hours. Pat salmon dry with a paper towel,
grill over direct medium-high heat, 6-8 minutes per side, using 2-3 handfuls of apple wood chips.

I always use Big Bad John's Butt Rub, and I use it as a sauce seasoning as well.

I like "Sonny's" but would like to try a mustard recipe

Rebeltruce,

Thanks for posting the Shack recipe. I've heard alot about it. Have you tried it with the grape soda?

Eric

Normally I purchase off the shelf BBQ sauce from the grocer. Mostly Krafts and I always get their sweet.

I have made my own and I recall, one of our posters indicated that when he was at BBQ contest, sweet always wins. I tried it and my guest always enjoy my sweet sauce made with oil, honey, grape jelly, tomato sauce, pepper, onions and salt.

I guess there are thousands of BBQ sauce recipes as evidenced the availability of thousands of sauces.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by motoeric

Rebeltruce,

Thanks for posting the Shack recipe. I've heard alot about it. Have you tried it with the grape soda?

Eric

Eric,

No I haven't tried it with the "Grapette", I've checked my local Walmart, and I haven't been able to find it yet.

I will say this about the recipe, if you taste it on it's own it can be a bit spicy. Put the stuff on anything and it just seems to blend perfectly....I love the stuff. Be prepared cuz like the recipe says it makes allot!

Truce

OK--- I said earlier that if I gave you my recipe, I'd have to kill ya! I've changed my mind. Since all you folks have been gratious enough to show yours, I'll show you mine if you swear you won't show this to anyone outside the RoadFood World especially Terriorists. They can make lethal bombs with it!

GRAMMY’S SECRET BAR-B-QUE SAUCE

This recipe makes a “Double Batch” so you can freeze some and use some, or just cut it in half—whatever. You’ll need a good-sized pot for a double batch.

2- 28 oz cans of tomato puree
56 oz water- (Just fill the cans with water to get all the goodies out)
1 largest bottle of Kraft Original BBQ Sauce or 2 regular size
½ c Apple Cider Vinegar

6 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
6 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 Tbsp Onion Flakes
4 Tbsp Celery Flakes

½ Tsp Red (Cayenne) Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic Salt
1 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Tsp Allspice
1 Tsp Chili Powder
1 Tsp Cinnamon
2 Tsp Black Pepper
2 Tsp Paprika
2 Tsp Dry Mustard
4 Tsp Season-all
4 Tsp BBQ Seasoning

Add everything to the pot, Turn on the heat to Medium—Medium high and start stirring. Bring to a small boil and reduce the heat to just simmer the sauce.
Be careful not to get the heat too high. You don’t want to burn the sauce. Don’t let stuff stick to the bottom of the pot.
Simmer UNCOVERED for about an hour or until it thickens to the consistency you like.
Stir occasionally while it’s simmering.

I have been making my own for years, and while it is very similar to most of the recipes here [catsup, garlic, brown sugar, molasses, sesame oil] i add a chunked up lemon or two. I actually save used lemon chunks in the freezer and recycle them into the sauce.

RebelTruce,

I think I'll try making the sauce this weekend. How much mustard do you use? The recipe calls for an amount equal to a good size apple, if I'm quoting it correctly. Not to precise.

1/4 cup?

Thanks,

Eric

quote:

Originally posted by motoeric

RebelTruce,

I think I'll try making the sauce this weekend. How much mustard do you use? The recipe calls for an amount equal to a good size apple, if I'm quoting it correctly. Not to precise.

1/4 cup?

Thanks,

Eric

Eric,

I took his comment to mean one of those apple shaped bottles of yellow mustard, I was never able to find that type of bottle so I improvise and use the smallest sized French's mustard. I just use the entire bottle, I think it's a 4-6 oz size. So I would say use 4-6 oz's.

Good luck, and post back with your results, I cooked a flank steak last night, and used up the rest of my last batch. Was even tastier then when I first made it over 6 months ago...stuff seems to get better as it ages! I leave mine sit out at room temperature....

I make one with 24 ingredients. Sorry, it's a secret.

However, a really good commercial one is made by Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. Really good! Also, if you like a yellow mustard one, Maurice Bettinger's Piggy Park makes a good one. Finally, if you want an interesting one..Big Bob Gibson's in Decatur, AL has a white BBQ sauce. All available on their websites....Check out Big Bob Gibson's website!

My wife loves the store bought ...Head Country BBQ Sauce..

I make my own and the one that seems to get all the raves isn't mine but one that came from a BBQ place in Seattle..J.K's Wild Boar Soul BBQ.

This is a "1/2" recipe, and makes 2 quarts.
Mix in big pot over low heat
1/6 cup salt
2 cups sugar
1/2 heaping cup packed brown sugar
1 cup beef boullion strong
6 Cups H20
When sugars dissolve, add
1 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup Wrights liquid smoke. Yes, that's right.
1 Cup Worcestershire
2 cups (16oz) tomato paste
Kitchen Bouquet to darken (Optional, don't worry if you don't have this)
Chili Powder (the real thing), cayenne, Daves, whatever to add heat. Hatch ground chile is my favorite. I might try adding baby schezuan peppers or chili pequins next time. I also like to make a not too hot sauce, and serve with lots of sliced fresh jalapeno.
Simmer bubbling slowly for 2 hours.... will reduce by 1/3 and darken.

I've had this in my files for awhile. I hope it is helpful to you.

BBQ sauces have regional characteristics. Kansas City-style sauce is the most common in the US is generally a basic mixture of tomatoes, sugar and vinegar. North Carolina's barbecue sauce traditionally is vinegar-based clear in Eastern North Carolina and red in the West. White barbecue sauce is made with mayonnaise, cider vinegar and black pepper is big in Alabama, where folks mostly have it with chicken. In Texas, beer and chilies are key ingredients. In Tennessee they enjoy a little hot pepper sauce in their sauce and in New Mexico they sometimes may have coffee as an ingredient. Mustard is the key ingredient in the sauces of South Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi. You can purchase many of these different sauces at www.InsaneChicken.com or you could try making them yourself with the following recipes.

Regional BBQ Sauce Recipes

Tennessee BBQ Sauce Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 teaspoon onion salt 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Dash of garlic 2 cup vinegar 1 cup bottled barbecue sauce 1/2 cup catsup 2 tablespoon. Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Busta Browne Hot Pepper Sauce
Directions In saucepan, stir together brown sugar, onion, salt, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Combine vinegar, barbecue sauce, catsup, Worcestershire sauce, and bottled hot pepper sauce. Stir vinegar mixture into dry ingredients. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

Texas BBQ Sauce Ingredients
1 cup tomato ketchup 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups water 3 stalks celery, chopped 3 bay leaves 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoon onion, chopped 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon paprika dash black pepper
Directions Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and strain.

Alabama White BBQ Sauce Recipe Ingredients
1 quart mayonnaise 3/4 quart apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper Prepared horseradish Lemon juice Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions Place all ingredients in a very large blender or food processor. (It may be necessary to do this in 2 batches; just add 1/2 of each ingredient and then repeat.) Blend for 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined and mixture is smooth. Pour sauce into a large bowl. Use when grilling chicken; brush lightly over the chicken during the last few minutes of grilling. This sauce is also great for dipping; set some sauce aside for passing at the table.

New Mexico's BBQ Sauce Ingredients
1/3 cup Dark Karo Syrup 1/3 cup Strong coffee 1/4 cup Ketchup 1/4 cup Cider vinegar 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Corn Oil 6 teaspoons Chili powder 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard 1/2 teaspoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon Scorned Woman Hot Sauce
Directions Mix well and allow flavors to blend for one hour or more

I buy it then doctor it.

Texas Tech BBQ Sauce

This comes from a friend who worked at Texas Tech, he helped for many years at their annual steak feeds. This is the original recipe and does need reduced or you will have LOTS!!!!!!!!!!!

1 pint vinegar
1 quart veggie oil
16 oz seasoned salt
27 1/2 oz lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
64 oz prepared mustard
2 tsp allspice
3 bottles worcestershire sauce
2 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together, use as you wish with BBQ'd meats

I told you it makes a lot, and it is soooooooo good on smoked meats

quote:

Originally posted by rebeltruce

I make several of my own recipes, one vinegar based, a vinegar based mop, and a couple variations of a basic tomato base....I add honey, or Jalepeno's, or bourbon, or whatever I feel like to change it up a bit.

BUT the one I always keep on hand isn't my own creation, it's one I found on the internet and it is fantastic. I do admit there have been times when I've claimed it as my own....LOL

It's called The Shack, based on a Q joint somewhere that has long since closed according to the site I found the recipe on. I'm sure there are Roadfooder's that have had the real thing and can attest to the zesty goodness of this sauce.

It may seem spicy, but some how when it goes on the meat or even when ya dunk a piece of good bread for a taste, it seems to mellow out and taste....well perfect.

Enjoy, and if your search "The Shack BBQ Sauce" you'll find the same site I did, well worth looking up the website as it is a very entertaining read.

Wet Stuff
Mix in a large bowl:

3 - 24 ounce bottle of ketchup (catsup)
Use the plastic ones, we will refill after making sauce.

Fill with hot water, swoosh around and dump contents into bowl.
Folks have asked: HOW MUCH WATER? Fill all three bottles, and dump all 72 oz into 'Wet Stuff'
(For original recipe use Grapette from Wal Mart- see 'additional notes').

Pour in plain ole cheap vinegar. "THE" recipe calls for just less than a quart, do not sweat this. use anywhere from a pint to a quart, strangely, this amount has scant effect on final product.

Put "wet stuff' in a LARGE pan, put heat on "high"
by the time it is approaching a boil, you will have "dry stuff' prepared.
Dry Stuff:
Since you dumped wet stuff out of bowl, why not use for 'dry'?
Into bowl, dump:

1 - 4 ounce can of chili powder
1 - 4 ounce can of black pepper
1 - 4 ounce can of garlic salt (SALT, NOT garlic powder!!!)
1/2 cup - sugar (is the ORIGINAL amount, why not TRY that, and adjust to your very own taste after 'brewing' mess up...likewise with Tabasco. See below)
1 - small Tabasco (anywhere from 1 to 4 ounces..start with about 1 oz...you can 'play' to taste after whole mess is completed.
1 - small mustard (size of an apple, just regular ole smear on a hotdog yeller mustard)

Stir
...btw, easier to put the mustard in last, and just swirl around till it looks like chocolaty brown tar.
Simmer
Dump all this stuff into pan on stove now approaching a simmer if you have been quick, and if you rinsed out the catsup with HOT water;-)

stir enough to make it evenly liquid...bring to a boil and immediately lower heat to a simmer.

30 minutes, (stir fairly often to avoid sticking).. during which the vinegar will bring sweat to your forehead, and tears to your eyes...think ventilation here.
Finish
That is it.
Remove from heat, pour back into bottles you saved, unfortunately, you will have an excess of sauce. Improvise, all life has dry rot.

You now have a LOT of sauce. I always do, and find it MOST welcome as a gift.
BTW, there is no need to refrigerate your sauce supply, even if you inhabit hot and humid southern climes! Apparently mischievous microbes refrain from causing problems in gratitude for being immersed in this tomato based necter, or are immobilized by the ingredients rendering them deliciously inert.

Having never made my own sauce, I decided to try this. I have to say that my expectations were pretty low...maybe I am just the pessimistic type. And of course, I did modify it a bit to use what I had on hand...and because I am just that way. At any rate, I was very pleasantly surprised at how well it came out.

BBQ Sauce

This is a modification of an online recipe for “The Shack” BBQ sauce.

1 29 oz. Can tomato puree
1 29 oz. Can water
1 Cup Vinegar
¼ cup Chili powder
¼ cup Black pepper
¼ cup Garlic salt
1/8 cup Brown sugar
1 Tbl. Cayenne pepper
½ cup mustard
½ cup ketchup

In a large stainless pot, bring water, vinegar, tomato puree, mustard & ketchup to a boil. Add dry ingredients & stir well to dissolve. Reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This makes about ½ gal of a thick, fairly spicy sauce.

Why yes I do!! Every time I make BBQ, I make sauce( although the BBQ speaks for its self!! "It dont need no stinking sauce!!!"!).
2 cups Ketchup
1 cup Dijon Mustard
4 tbsp Worchester sauce  
1/2 cup "Franks" red hot sause( add more for more heat)
3/4 cup Packed Brown sugar (can also use Splenda BS)
20 turns or 1/3 cup of Course Black Pepper
1/2 cup of your favorite rub ( I make my own)
1 Guiness ( add whatever the chef doesn't drink)
1 cup of Grape or Apple jelly
 
Add all the ingredients in a stock pot, stir everything together, and simmmer for about an hour stirring occasionally. Let sauce cool and add to your favorite jar and/or give the leftovers to your friends and neighbors.

Yes, on occasion:
1 med. bottle Western brand french dressing
2 tbsp. chili sauce
2 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. Lawrys seasoned salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. louisiana hot sauce

Thanks for posting the Shack recipe. I've heard alot about it. Have you tried it with the grape soda?

 
I tried it a few years ago with the Grapette and still cannot get rid of the memory. Two huge problems with it. First, you have to go to Walmart to get the stuff, a singularily unpleasent task. Second, the sauce ends up tasting like nothing but cheap artificially flavored grape soda.