BBQ Time, so let’s get saucy!

Here at Ragus we love a BBQ and because of that, we supply many of the leading sauces, chutney and condiments manufacturers with their pure sugars for taste, texture and appearance.

Many people create their own BBQ glazes, rubs and sauce at home, adding moisture and a deep rich flavour to grilled chicken, beef or pork ribs. With the perfect combination of tang and sweetness, a traditional BBQ sauce isn’t overpowering and won’t drown the charred and smoky profile of grilled meats. Made with simple ingredients, the recipe doesn’t have high levels of salt or sucrose like store-bought sauces do.

Did you know that many savoury cooking sauces, glazes and marinades contain molasses and treacle supplied directly from Ragus; but what are they and what is the difference? Many people are confused by the difference between molasses and treacle; but for all intents and purposes, they are the same.

The British generic name for any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane or sugar beet is known as ‘Treacle’. Therefore, theoretically, treacle, black treacle and molasses are all classed as treacle.  However, there is a technical difference between molasses and treacle.

All about molasses 

Molasses is the thick syrup obtained during the sugar refining process.  Firstly, juice is extracted from crushing sugar cane or sugar beets. The juice is then boiled down to extract as much sucrose as possible from raw sugar, this forms sugar crystals, which are then removed from the liquid leaving a thick brown syrup, that is Molasses. It has a strong, robust bittersweet flavour.

There are a variety of products in the BBQ world that contain molasses. From sticky rib sauce, Red Hot wings, and Dr Wills BBQ sauce.

Treacle delight

Treacle is made from the syrup obtained during the first boiling’s of the sugarcane or sugar beets, which has a higher sucrose content compared to subsequent boiling’s. The most well known variant is black treacle, which has a more rounded smoother flavour profile than molasses.

Molasses and treacle are used for flavouring, sweetening and colouring so many foods including gingerbread, toffee, fruit cakes, confectionery, biscuits, Christmas pudding, cooking sauces, marinades and glazes to name but a few.

So here is a delicious sticky BBQ sauce just for you using Ragus Black Treacle:

Ingredients
Serves: 10

– 2 tbsp Ragus Black Treacle

– 2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

– 125g Tomato Sauce

– 125ml Water

– 1 tbsp White Wine Vinegar

– 1 tbsp Wholegrain Mustard

– 1 tbsp Ragus Light Brown Soft Sugar

– 1/2 teaspoon Salt

– 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce

– 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Granules

– 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Method
Prep: 5 mins             Cook:15 mins           Extra time: 8hr chilling

1.Beat all the ingredients together in a saucepan over a medium heat.

2. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Remove from heat and allow to completely cool.

4. Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate, uncovered, for 8 hours or overnight to allow the flavours to blend correctly.

BBQ to stay 

The BBQ industry (food products and equipment) is a long-standing tradition which bring people and communities together. Sticky sweet and smoky meat, sauces and chutneys, along with its side dishes from slaw, mac n’ cheese and potato wedges, is here to stay.

Let’s just hope the weather holds up this Summer.

At Ragus we produce tailor-made products; we can formulate molasses and treacle to your exact requirements. To learn more about our products, please contact our Customer Services Team. To see more sugar news and updates, continue browsing SUGARTALK and follow Ragus on LinkedIn.