I love making homemade condiments, but not everyone has the time or inclination to make their own ketchup, mustard or hot sauce from scratch. That's why whipping up a big batch of your favorite condiment and bottling it to give as hostess gifts is a gesture that's sure to be appreciated. My pick? Garlicky, spicy and bright Thai sweet chili sauce.
I've made up to 6 quarts of the sauce, scaling up a recipe from the Thai cooking blog She Simmers, but even just a couple cups will make enough for two or three friends. The 5-ingredient recipe couldn't be easier, and the finished sauce tastes much fresher than store-bought. Plus the recipe can be tweaked to your taste, made a little sweeter or more acidic, and as spicy as you dare. I bottled the finished sauce pictured above in 5-ounce bottles from Specialty Bottle and labeled them with adhesive labels from Martha Stewart.
Once made, the sauce should be stored in the refrigerator, where it will last for weeks, even months. (I did not use Clearjel, the heat- and acid-stable thickener the recipe recommends for large batches, and the sauce held up fine for several weeks.) But it is so good — eaten with grilled meats, on eggs, as a dipping sauce — it rarely hangs around that long.
• Get the recipe: Thai Sweet Chili Sauce at She Simmers
Do you ever give homemade condiments as hostess gifts?
Related: What The New York Times Says You Should Make, Not Buy
(Image: Anjali Prasertong)
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That sauce makes the best dip! A layer of softened cream cheese, layer of the Thai Sauce, sprinkle some slivered almonds and some dried cranberries. Serve with rice crackers, its got just the right blend of sweet and heat. And its pretty too!
When my best friend and I were living together she would make Korean marinated steak often. She made a dipping sauce with equal parts spicy brown mustard, mayo, and thai sweet chili sauce. It sounds gross but it is literally the best steak sauce I've ever had.
Mix it with sour cream for a good fry (or anything, really) dipping sauce too!
Do you have any idea around how much sauce fit into the 5oz. bottles? I'm trying to see how large a batch I need to make. Thanks!
MsScrabble - Pretty sure the 5oz. bottles would hold 5oz. of sauce. Since an ounce is a measure of weight, the volume of the 5oz. bottle would be based on 5oz. of water.
4oz. is 1/2 cup so 5oz. would be 1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup (5/8 cup).
Great idea! I was looking for ways to use up my garden serranos, so I quintupled the recipe and canned it in 8 oz. jelly jars. I'll give them as gifts to family members and, of course, keep one for myself. Thanks!