FOOD NEWS
When Making Worcestershire Sauce, Be Ready To Wait
BY TOM MAXWELL
While it's most commonly a store-bought staple, it's actually not hard to create your own version of Worcestershire sauce at home. You just have to expect a long aging period.
Worcestershire sauce is generally made of fruits, spices, molasses, and malt vinegar. Famous brand Lea & Perrins actually fermented the sauce by accident back in the 1830s.
Lea & Perrins’ first batch of sauce was too strong, and was forgotten about in a wooden barrel for a year and then rediscovered. Today, the brand ages its sauce for 18 months.
You don't have to age homemade Worcestershire for quite that long, but for at least three weeks. Letting the ingredients sit together in the fridge is essential for the right flavor.
A typical Worcestershire sauce recipe may include anchovies, vinegar, cloves, tamarind concentrate, onion, garlic, soy sauce, hot chiles, sweeteners, and spices.
You'll boil the ingredients together for several minutes, then put it in a tightly-sealed container in the fridge for at least three weeks for a sweet, tart, and savory sauce.