Add Your Leftover Frozen Fruit To BBQ Sauce For A Sweet Twist

Have you ever found some leftover frozen fruit but no idea what to make? Of course, you have a few options, including making a small batch of coulis or a compote. However, there's another fun idea you might not have thought of yet. Jazz up your store-bought barbecue sauce (or homemade sauce recipe) with a sweet, fruity twist!

Barbecue sauce's tangy nature makes it the perfect medium for adding leftover frozen fruit. If you're in the tomatoes-are-a-fruit camp, you already know that fruit is an integral part of barbecue sauce; the sweet, acidic flavors of tomatoes are a big part of what gives it that signature zing. Therefore, it's no wonder other citrus fruits can lend barbecue sauce a mouthwatering boost. 

For example, pineapple stands out as one perfect possibility. Likewise, while mangoes aren't technically citrus fruits, they have a similar flavor profile and can add dimension to a one-note sauce. Cranberries' sweet and sour taste makes the holiday berry another excellent option. If your sauce is on the spicy side, that's even better. Sweet and spicy flavors are very complimentary, so you're limited to the ingredients you have on hand and your creativity. 

While we've discussed a few options, it's important to note nearly any fruit can complement an already tasty barbecue sauce and step it up an extra notch. Some common choices include frozen cherries, peaches, raspberries, and blackberries. Other fruits, like frozen blueberries, might not seem like they would work, but their subtle sweetness can complement the flavors in barbecue sauce quite well. The same goes with frozen rhubarb, though it's technically a vegetable with a tart, fruit-like flavor. 

Frozen bananas can also make for a fun and unique addition. If you're a fan of banana ketchup from the Philippines, there's a good chance you'll enjoy a barbecue sauce that has been doctored up with the yellow fruit. In short, it's hard to think of a frozen fruit that wouldn't taste great as an addition to whatever sauce you use. The key is tasting and thinking about the other ingredients in either a bottled sauce or one you make yourself to achieve the best results. 

Sprucing up barbecue sauce with leftover frozen fruit will only take about half an hour — and it's 30 minutes well spent. Creating this fruity infusion is as easy as simmering your frozen fruit with sugar and water, adding pre-made barbecue sauce or some of your homemade recipe, and letting the mixture simmer so the flavors meld. However, if you're using bananas, you may want to defrost and sauté them first, but that is a matter of preference.

What can you put this tasty concoction on? Anything that you would typically put barbecue sauce on, of course. White meats like pork and chicken go particularly well with sweeter flavors, so ribs or wings are sure to be a win. That said, there's no reason to shy away from trying it on a juicy grilled steak or some lamb chops. Even fish can get a boost from a drizzle of this sweet and spicy condiment.