Traditionally fermented, Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies, vinegar, sugar and flavouring.
In this rendition, there is no seafood, vinegar, refined sugar, mystery flavouring or fermentation; instead a long list of pure ingredients gently simmers for hours and cooks down into a sweet, sour/ tangy sauce with deep umami flavours.
It is a labour of love but well worth the effort. This makes four small jars of highly concetrated worcestershire sauce that lasts for many months in sterilised glass jars with tightly sealed lids in the refrigerator.
If you want to make less, halve the recipe or make the full amount and give a couple of jars away as gifts!
Worcestershire Sauce
Ingredients
2 large red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1.5 tbs Herbie’s tamarind paste (this is Indian + concentrated)(If you use Thai and make a juice from pulp, use 1/2 cup)
2 tbs grated garlic
2 tbs peeled and grated ginger
2 red chillies (or jalapenos, preferably red), finely chopped
1/4 cup capers in salt, thoroughly rinsed
1/4 cup organic tomato paste
2 whole cloves
1/4 cup raisons or dried mulberries2 tbs freshly cracked pepper
1/2 cup +3 tbs pure maple syrup
1 cup black strap molasses
3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups filtered water
1 tbs pure porcini mushroom powder
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 organic lemon (unwaxed), scrubbed and thinly slived
1 lime, (unwaxed), scrubbed and thinly sliced
Method
Gather and prepare all the ingredients.
Saute the onion until it is soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add the tamarind paste, finely chopped chillies, grated garlic and ginger; sauté for 5 minutes. Add in the rinsed capers, tomato paste, cloves, raisons (or dried mulberries), black pepper, pure maple syrup, molasses, freshly squeezed lemon juice, filtered water, porcini powder, freshly squeezed orange juice and sliced lemon and lime. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 4-5 hours stirring occasionally to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. When finished, it should thickly coat the back of a spoon.
While the sauce simmers, bring a medium sized pot of hot water to boiling. Add several small jars in the pot without their lids and let them boil for about 10 minutes. Remover the jars with tongs and carefully place on the counter to air dry. Turn off the heat and place the jar lids in the pot for about 10 minutes. Remober with tongs and place the lids on the counter, inside facing up.
Once the sauce is done, strain the sauce and spoon in to jars. Make sure the sieve you use is not too fine or you will find this process extremely laborious. Use a medium sieve. Firmly seal the lids, let cool on the counter until room temperature and refrigerate.
