Homemade Cherry BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil

1-1/2 cups fresh ripe cherries, pitted

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1-3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes

½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice (1 large orange)

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ cup ketchup

1 tablespoon honey

2 to 3 teaspoons liquid smoke (optional)

Preparation

In a saucepan, add 1 teaspoon of grapeseed oil and the chopped onion. Sauté until onion is translucent and turning brown, about 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic, sauté an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cherries, mix into the garlic and onion and cover, allowing cherry juice to begin to leech out, about 3 minutes. Uncover and add the crushed tomatoes, orange juice, ketchup, honey, apple cider vinegar, chili powder, ground red pepper, paprika and liquid smoke. Bring to a full boil and allow to bubble 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the contents of the saucepan to an emulsion blender. Emulsify until very smooth.

Optional for a thicker sauce: Transfer the sauce back to the saucepan and simmer on medium-low for 30 to 40 minutes in order to thicken. The sauce should be barely bubbling and be sure to stir periodically. Allow sauce to cool before transferring it to a container. If need be, allow it to cool more in the container before refrigerating it.

Keep refrigerated for use for up to 1 week.