Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

 This sauce is easy to make and you probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients already. A mix of vinegar, juice, sugar, cornstarch and some spices, it can be ready in about five minutes.

So why bother to make your own sweet and sour sauce? Maybe I’m weird, but I like to make a lot of foods from scratch.  You can add just the seasonings you prefer. You can make it as spicy, or as mild, as you like. Knowing all the ingredients, and what goes into your food, is part of it, too.

Truth is, I make my own sweet and sour sauce because I think it tastes better than what I can buy at the store. So here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

½ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. sugar
½ c. pineapple juice
3 T. catsup
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch*
1 T. fresh minced garlic or 1 t. dried minced garlic
1 t. fresh grated ginger
Hot pepper flakes to taste

In saucepan combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring as mixture gets hot, until sauce begins to bubble. It will also get much clearer. Simmer gently 1 minute, stirring constantly, before removing from heat. Makes 1½ cups. Keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

* Regular cornstarch works fine in this recipe- but I prefer to use Clear Gel. Clear Gel is a modified cornstarch. It is used to make things like pie fillings. Unlike regular cornstarch, which gets runny if you reheat it, Clear Gel can be reheated and will stay thick. You can find it at Amish stores and online.