Sweet & Smoky Barbecue Sauce (Canning Recipe)
This is one of those things that might make you wonder if it’s worth the trouble. It is! It’s sweet, smoky, and better than what you’ll find at the store. Don’t be picky about the brand of ketchup and buy it in bulk, and you’ll find that this homemade canned barbecue sauce saves you money, too. This is a waterbath canning recipe you can make any time of year.
This is perfect for slathering over pretty much everything. And you’ll feel like you’ve really accomplished something in the kitchen. And you have! Every time you open a jar, you’ll remember that you made it yourself – and that’s something to be proud of.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
You can adjust the cayenne pepper and liquid smoke, but try not to change anything else. If you change too much, the flavor will be different.
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If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Equipment
- Water Bath Canner
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 6 cups of ketchup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar (I don’t recommend another kind of vinegar; it will make a big difference.)
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika (This is irreplaceable for the smoky flavor; find it in the spice aisle.)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, adjust to taste for additional smoky flavor (find it near the barbecue sauces or condiments; if you can’t find it, add a bit more smoked paprika)
- 2 teaspoons salt, adjust to taste
How to Make Canned Barbecue Sauce
Step One: Combine Ingredients
In a large pot, mix all the ingredients together. Stir well to make sure everything is fully combined.
Step Two: Simmer
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes or until it thickens to your preference.
Step Three: Prepare Jars
While the sauce simmers, sterilize your canning jars and lids by boiling them in water for at least 10 minutes or using a dishwasher on a sanitized cycle.
Step Four: Fill The Jars
Carefully ladle the hot sauce into the sterilized jars using a canning funnel, leaving about ½ inch of headspace.
Step Five: Wipe Rims And Seal
Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until fingertip tight.
Step Six: Process
Place the jars in a water bath canner, making sure they’re fully submerged. Bring the water to a boil and process the jars for 20 minutes. Adjust processing time as needed based on your altitude.
Step Seven: Cool And Store
Remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a towel or cooling rack for 12-24 hours. Check the seals before labeling and storing them in a cool, dark place.
Serving & Storing
Brush on ribs, chicken drumsticks, or use as the base for slow cooker barbecue beans or crockpot barbecue chicken thighs.
Once your jars are sealed properly, store them in a cool, dark place like a pantry or cupboard. Avoid direct sunlight and drastic temperature changes. The sauce can last up to a year.
Once you open a jar, refrigerate it and use it within a month.
If you decide not to can the sauce, pour it into an airtight container and refrigerate. This way, it should last for up to 2-3 weeks.
More Barbecue Sauce Recipes
- Try this cherry barbecue sauce over pork or chicken.
- Apricots on meat? Trust me on this apricot barbecue sauce recipe.
Printable Recipe
Sweet + Smoky Barbecue Sauce for Canning
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 6 cups ketchup
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika for the smoky flavor
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke adjust to taste for additional smoky flavor
- 2 teaspoons salt adjust to taste
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Instructions
- Combine ingredients. In a large pot, mix all the ingredients together. Stir well to make sure everything is fully combined.
- Simmer. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes or until it thickens to your preference.
- Prepare jars. While the sauce simmers, sterilize your canning jars and lids by boiling them in water for at least 10 minutes or using a dishwasher on a sanitized cycle.
- Fill the jars. Carefully ladle the hot sauce into the sterilized jars using a canning funnel, leaving about ½ inch of headspace.
- Wipe rims and seal. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp cloth. Place the lids on the jars and screw on the bands until fingertip tight.
- Process. Place the jars in a water bath canner, making sure they're fully submerged. Bring the water to a boil and process the jars for 20 minutes. Adjust processing time as needed based on your altitude.
- Cool and store. Remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a towel or cooling rack for 12-24 hours. Check the seals before labeling and storing them in a cool, dark place.
Notes
Nutrition
By Katie Shaw
Katie shares simple, reliable recipes from her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, three daughters, a chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens.
How many pints does this make? Thanks
Hey Chris! This barbecue sauce recipe makes about 4 to 5 pints, depending on how much you cook it down. If you want to be sure, you could also measure out the final amount before canning, just in case. Enjoy your canning, and let me know how it turns out! 😊
I used this recipe to save a batch of tomato sauce that went bitter. Since the fix was add sugar what better than a smoky bbq sauce to save it. However, I had two issues. I didn’t realize the pop up ad covered 3 of the ingredients, honey, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. I thought it odd because I normally add to my recipe. No to worry I added Worcestershire sauce and dark molasses anyway and I kept thinking I ought to add a little lemon juice but was afraid to. But it turned out tasting great despite my mistake. Fast forward to putting them in the water bath and I sit down and go over the recipe one more time…then I noticed the intro statement says “pressure canning makes this sauce shelf stable.” Oh no! I looked up the recipe on your website and double checked. Yep. It says that. But your instructions say to water bath can. I hope so because tho’s what I’m doing.
hey carol! yes waterbath is correct, I’m not sure how the pressure canning phrase got in there. 🙂 if you’re nervous about leaving out the lemon juice, you can just pop those jars in the freezer.