Blueberry BBQ Sauce

I had a flat of blueberries delivered to my door last week. That's 12 pints. Almost 10 pounds. Of blueberries.

The longer I blog, the more crazy tales I have of things that are mailed to me. The delivery truck drivers who are assigned to my house probably either think I'm crazy or that the person who lives at my address looks like Jabba the Hutt. Depending on the day, they're probably half right. 

The absolute sweethearts at Wish Farms were kind enough to gift a flat of blueberries to each member of the winning team for the #Hashed competition I mentioned in my Food Wine Conference recap earlier this week. They also shipped a flat of blueberries to the winners of the Blueberry Toss contest I entered, so in a way, I'm glad I didn't win or I would have blueberries coming out the wazoo. {As a side note, though I didn't win, they did include my recipe submission on the Wish Farms site, which I thought was pretty cool!}

As you can imagine, we have all been eating LOTS of blueberries around here. Even Farley. And luckily, Cole has become quite fond of blueberries as a snack, so he's been helping out, too. 

But we still have about 6 pints left after snacking, smoothie-ing and baking all week, so I knew it was time to come up with another recipe for blueberry consumption. With this weekend being Memorial Day Weekend and all, and so many folks taking to their backyards to grill with family and friends, I thought I'd rework an old recipe that could add a special touch to otherwise ordinary grilling.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce! 

Not only is it patriotic to add a touch of blue to your red and white {meats}, but it's also a nice way to sweeten up the day with an unexpected twist that guests will appreciate.

I first posted a version of this recipe 4 years ago {!}, during one of my Tailgate Thursday posts. Back then I used to start by making a strained blueberry syrup, and later adding it to the rest of the ingredients. But that was back when I used to have more time and less children {fury and human} tugging on my apron strings, so I changed things around a bit for this version, and I actually like it better!

My first blueberry bbq sauce attempt back in 2012. 

Blueberries and sauteed onion, garlic and dried herbs make an excellent sweet and savory team, while vinegar and hot sauce give that zip and zing that perks up your taste buds. {I used a combination of Raspberry Wine Vinegar and Chardonnay Vinegar this time, and it really enhanced the berry flavor, but if you don't have those, just use regular red wine vinegar and it should still turn out great!} I blended my sauce in the food processor for a smoother consistency, but if you don't mind some blueberry skins and onion pieces, feel free to keep it chunky.

Whether you slather this sauce on ribs, toss it with chicken wings or dab it onto your burger, you'll be happy you tried something new! Have a safe and happy weekend, and don't forget to pause and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country! 

Blueberry BBQ Sauce

1 pint blueberries
1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
2 strips of lemon zest {just peel with a vegetable peeler avoiding the white pith}
4 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, minced

2 large garlic cloves, grated

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup red wine vinegar 

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Combine the blueberries, water, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer until reduced by about half, stopping to smash the berries every now and again. {This takes awhile -- about 15-20 minutes. When it's ready the bubbles will be slower and the liquid will be thickened slightly.} Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in another saucepan or in a medium pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

4. Sprinkle in sage and thyme, and cook for another minute or so. Stir in vinegar, hot sauce, and the blueberry mixture and bring to a bubble, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for another 6-8 minutes until the mixture has thickened a bit. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

5. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency. {Or don't if you want a chunky sauce.} DO NOT blend boiling hot liquids as they can blow the top right off of your blender!

Pour into a jar with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use.

Note: Remember that since this sauce has a higher sugar content, it will burn easily if cooked over high heat.