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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

DIY Hoisin Sauce-The Battle

It is no secret that I am delighted when I find I can make a homemade version of a commercial product.  Several months ago I found a recipe for Hoisin Sauce in a microwave book.  The author indicated that the recipe had come from Recipezaar which is now Food.com.

I thought I would go check the recipe out on the site.  When I got there I found that there were two very different recipes for making Hoisin Sauce.  The one in the book which makes quite a bit and another one that made a smaller amount.

I decided to make both recipes and see if I liked one better than the other, and, of course, I had to make my own changes, too.  The results were mixed.  They were both easy to make and used ingredients that I keep on hand.   I didn’t really like one that more than the other one.  The shortcomings in both recipes were that, as written, neither of them had the thick, paste-like texture like the commercial Hoisin sauces I have purchased.  I have adjusted my recipes for that.

So, try them both.  If you need just a little Hoisin Sauce make the recipe the yields the smaller amount.  The recipe that makes the larger amount says that it keeps 2 weeks.  For longer storage, I don’t see why the sauce can not be frozen, so I would dollop recipe amounts out on a parchment paper-lined pan, flash freeze, and put the dollops in a freezer bag or container.

The first recipe uses black bean sauce or peanut butter.  I used peanut butter since I always have that on hand.  One recipe said 1 T., one recipe said 2 T.  I used 1 T.  I think that the peanut butter flavor may be a little too much with 2 T.

DIY Hoisin Sauce-small quantity
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1-2 T. black bean paste or creamy peanut butter
1 T.  molasses, honey, or brown sugar, firmly packed (I used molasses)
2 t. unflavored rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or white vinegar (use use rice wine vinegar)
2 t. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 t. garlic powder (I used the powder)
1/8 t. onion powder
2 t. cornstarch
20 drops hot sauce, preferably Chinese (I did not use this much)
1/8 t. black pepper

Combine soy sauce, peanut butter, molasses, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, onion powder in a glass measuring cup.  Microwave on high 30 seconds to melt peanut butter for easier mixing.  Beat with a wire whisk until well blended  and cool.  Stir in cornstarch, beating until well blended.  Microwave 30 seconds to 1 minute until mixture is thickened.  Stir well.  Add hot sauce and black pepper.  Makes about 1/3 cup.

DIY Hoisin Sauce-large quantity
1 c. beef broth (low sodium if possible)
1/2 c. low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. dry sherry
2 T. cornstarch
2 T.  molasses
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. tomato paste
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t. ginger
black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a 1 qt. glass measuring cup or microwave-proof bowl.  Stir with a whisk to dissolve cornstarch.  Partially cover with plastic wrap.  Microwave on high 2 minutes.  Stir with a whisk.  Microwave 1 1/2 to 2 more minutes until thickened.  Stir again with a whisk until smooth.  Let cool and store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.  Ingredients may also be put in a small saucepan, and mixture cooked on the stove until boiling and thickened.  Makes about 2 cups.

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11 comments:

  1. This sounds very good! So glad you linked up with us at Wicked Good Wednesdays.

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  2. Hello, How much cornstarch does the large recipe need? Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. 2 T. Sorry about that. I have corrected the post. Thanks for letting me know.

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  3. Hi Loy,
    I'm trying to learn to use tofu in my meals. I was looking around at all of the recipes on different cooking sites. I like your recipe best and intend to use it when I make my first tofu meal. thanks for the recipe.
    Cheers :-)

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  4. Looks great! How long would say each recipe would keep? would you refrigerate it? thanks!

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    Replies
    1. It easily keeps a month or so as long as it is refrigerated. I have kept it longer than that.

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  5. Hi, is a "t" a teaspoon or a tablespoon?

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  6. I just got around to trying the large recipe and it is excellent. I thought it was way better than store bought. Thanks Grandma Loy!

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  7. I guess I should say I changed the recipe for the large recipe a little, instead of dry sherry I used apple sauce and vanilla and instead of ginger I used ginger vinegar that was left over from the ginger I use for sushi.

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  8. Hi Loy. Thanks for the recipes - going to test them out tonight.

    Thought I'd share a quick tip about portion storage that I've found invaluable. Buy a few ice cube trays (really cheap and infinitely useful!) and fill them with a tablespoon of sauce and pop them in the freezer. They can be transferred to freezer bags after 24 hours if desired. It also works for stock and anything else that needs to be frozen in very small quantities.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mary, You are a no-reply commentor so I cannot email you. Just wanted to thank you for the tip. I have used that idea in the past, but didn't think about transferring the frozen cubes to freezer bags so the ice cube trays could be reused. Also I haven't tried freezing the hoisin sauce, but I'm sure you can.

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I love to read your comments and suggestions. Hope that you enjoyed your visit to Grandma Loy"s Kitchen.

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