Worcestershire Sauce

This is quite a large recipe, however if preferred it can be easily halved but in that case, reduce cooking time to 1½ to 2 hours. (Mind you, if you make the larger batch, a bottle of the sauce given to friends or family is always much appreciated).

You can use more fruit if you like, up to 3kg even.

The sauce can be made with other fruits besides the plums specified here – for instance apricots (very nice), peaches, cherries or apples to name but a few.

It’s a good idea to shut the doors to bedrooms when making the sauce as the (delicious) aroma permeates the whole house as it’s cooking.

Ingredients

1.5kg plums (any sort)

5 litres dark malt vinegar

125g garlic cloves, peeled

125g fresh ginger root, bruised and sliced

125g salt

750 brown sugar

1.3kg treacle

60g whole cloves

30g allspice berries

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients in a very large pan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. 

Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 hours or until slightly thickened.

Strain through a sieve and the pour into warm, sterilised bottles and seal immediately.

The sauce is ready to eat in a month.

Store in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 2 years.

Hints for using Worcestershire Sauce (just some of the uses I have for it)

• To a 500g mince batch of meatballs or patties (rissoles), hamburger mixture or the like add 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• Similarly, to a batch of sausage roll mixture, add 3 teaspoons to 500g sausage mince or ½/½ sausage mince and regular beef mince

• Add up to 1 tablespoon to a large meat loaf mixture (i.e. 1kg mince)

• Add 2 teaspoons to any casserole or curry

• Add 2 to 3 teaspoons to a savoury muffin mixture

• A delicious glaze for meatballs can be made as follows: ½ cup tomato sauce (ketchup style), 3 teaspoons cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional), 2 teaspoons brown sugar1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon or American mustard and 1 teaspoon coffee powder.  Place all in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.  Pour the resulting glaze into a frying pan and then add cooked meatballs.  Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the glaze thickens, turning the meatballs once during this time.

• Make a mixture to spread on toast for a quick and easy snack, enough to spread on 6 slices toasted bread – mix 1 small onion (finely grated), 125g finely diced bacon, 125g grated tasty cheese, 2 eggs, lightly whisked, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard and 3 teaspoons chopped parsley.  Mix well.  Spread on one side of each slice of toast and bake in a moderate oven for approximately 10 minutes until the topping is bubbling hot.

You could also do this in an air fryer.

• For a filling for 18 small quiches, mix the following:  125g grated tasty cheese, 125g bacon, (finely diced), ½ cup creamed corn, 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 1 spring onion, finely chopped or a small onion, grated

I use 2 thawed puff pastry sheets, cutting 18 rounds and placing in greased scoop patty tins (though small muffin tins would do).  Place about 2 teaspoons of the above mixture in each and bake at 210 degrees C (fan forced) for approximately 12 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.  Delicious served hot or cold.

HINTS for use:

Hints for using Worcestershire Sauce:

• To a 500g mince batch of meatballs or patties (rissoles), hamburger mixture or the like add 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• Similarly, to a batch of sausage roll mixture, add 3 teaspoons to 500g sausage mince or ½/½ sausage mince and regular beef mince

• Add up to 1 tablespoon to a large meat loaf mixture (i.e. 1kg mince)

• Add 2 teaspoons to any casserole or curry

• Add 2 to 3 teaspoons to a savoury muffin mixture

• A delicious glaze for meatballs can be made as follows: ½ cup tomato sauce (ketchup style), 3 teaspoons cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional), 2 teaspoons brown sugar,1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon or American mustard and 1 teaspoon coffee powder.  Place all in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.  Pour the resulting glaze into a frying pan and then add cooked meatballs.  Cook for a few minutes over medium heat until the glaze thickens, turning the meatballs once during this time.

• Make a mixture to spread on toast for a quick and easy snack, enough to spread on 6 slices toasted bread – mix 1 small onion (finely grated), 125g finely diced bacon, 125g grated tasty cheese, 2 eggs, lightly whisked, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard and 3 teaspoons chopped parsley.  Mix well.  Spread on one side of each slice of toast and bake in a moderate oven for approximately 10 minutes until the topping is bubbling hot.

You could also do this in an air fryer.

• For a filling for 18 small quiches, mix the following:  125g grated tasty cheese, 125g bacon, (finely diced), ½ cup creamed corn, 3 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and 1 spring onion, finely chopped or a small onion, grated

I use 2 thawed puff pastry sheets, cutting 18 rounds and placing in greased scoop patty tins (though small muffin tins would do).  Place about 2 teaspoons of the above mixture in each and bake at 210 degrees C (fan forced) for approximately 12 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.  Delicious served hot or cold.