How to make balsamic sauce at home. Recipes from classic to sweet chocolate.

Today we will tell you how to make the best balsamic dressing at home. You will learn 10 interesting recipes with step-by-step preparation. And also how to use the sauce and what is the benefit of it.

Composition

Let’s start with what is included in balsamic sauce. Of course, each manufacturer maintains its own recipe, but one thing remains the same – this is balsamic vinegar.

It also contains vitamins A, B and C and trace elements: magnesium, zinc, manganese, calcium, sodium, copper, iron, phosphorus. All this has a beneficial effect on the body, replenishing the lack of these elements in it.

Ingredients most often included:

• balsamic vinegar;
• vinegar;
• grape must;
• dyes, stabilizers, thickeners, flavorings;
• glucose, sugar.

There are also spicy balsamic, blueberry, and citrus. The following is added to the composition of such sauces:

• chili pepper, garlic;
• grape juice;
• honey, mustard, lemon juice;
• rosemary, cinnamon, curry, starch;
• basil, truffle, hazelnut, pomegranate;
• figs, raspberries, strawberries, wild berries.

Not all sauces contain sulfates and various kinds of chemical additives; there are also compositions with natural ingredients.

Benefits and harms

Now let’s figure out whether balsamic sauce is healthy or not. Looking at the balsamic composition of the sauce, the benefits or harm from it are not immediately clear. But let’s find out its beneficial properties for the human body.

• has a choleretic effect;
• acts as a diuretic;
• increases appetite;
• lowers blood pressure;
• has a beneficial effect on the blood;
• removes toxins and waste;
• can be used as a cosmetic product;
• strengthens the immune system;
• influences the formation of tumors;
• helps with frequent stress.

All this is thanks to the vitamins, acids and mineral composition of the sauce. By the way, you can also use it for PP, but make sure that there is no sugar in the composition. After all, the calorie content of balsamic sauce is only 160-180 kcal per 100 grams.

It contains no fat, about 50 grams of carbohydrates, and about 0.3 grams of protein.

The sauce is not without contraindications. Some components of the sauce can cause allergies, but this is all individual. So does heartburn, which can result from the acidity of the sauce.

People with kidney and liver diseases should be careful with balsamic. Varicose veins, cholecystitis, pancreatitis – if you have these diseases, you should not overuse the sauce.

For such diseases, the sauce itself is not as dangerous as eating it in large quantities. It is better to consult your doctor and show him the composition of your sauce.

Balsamic Recipes

You can make your own balsamic sauce, you just need a simple list of ingredients.

Classic recipe

Here’s a recipe for homemade balsamic dressing. It will cost you much less than a ready-made store bought one. It contains only two ingredients – sugar and balsamic vinegar, whatever you can find.

Take the ratio of vinegar and sugar one to one.

We will need:

• balsamic vinegar – 250 ml;
• sugar – 250 g;

How to cook:

1. Pour the vinegar into a thick-bottomed saucepan (this will prevent the sugar from burning) and add sugar.
2. First, bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, then reduce.
3. Simmer the sauce until reduced in volume for about 15 minutes and you’re done!

Pour a teaspoon of sauce onto a plate and refrigerate for a couple of minutes. Then check for consistency; if the consistency is runny, boil the sauce for a few more minutes.

To enhance the aroma, you can add a couple of cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Do not stand over the saucepan, vinegar fumes can hurt your eyes and make you lose your breath!

Cooked according to the classic recipe, it goes with everything. Use it as a sauce for meat,  for fish, for vegetables, to boiled pork. Just pour it over your bologna sandwich or hot dogs.

Salad dressing

Salad dressing with balsamic dressing, soy sauce and mustard, it’s just the bomb! This piquant sauce enhances the taste of vegetables not only in salad. It can also be served with grilled vegetables and mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• balsamic vinegar – 100 ml;
• soy sauce – 1 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• Extra virgin olive oil – 1 tsp. l.;
• Dijon mustard – 1 tsp. l.;
• salt, pepper to taste.

Recipe:

1. Grate the garlic on a fine grater and mix with oil, let it release its aroma.
2. Combine garlic with oil, soy sauce, vinegar and mustard, mix well.
3. Add salt and pepper, let stand for 10 minutes and the balsamic vinegar sauce is ready!

Dijon mustard can be replaced with regular mustard, but not too hot. You can also use your favorite oil. This mustard sauce is especially good for vegetable salad with arugula, shrimp or tuna.

By the way, this salad dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar is a classic  sauce for Greek salad. But this balsamic salad dressing can also be used as a marinade for chicken.

For pizza

You can also make white pizza sauce with balsamic sauce. This is the most delicious and fastest balsamic sauce.

Composition:

• vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
• balsamic vinegar (white) – 2 tbsp. l.;
• oregano, thyme or basil (dried) – 1 tbsp. l.;
• mayonnaise – 3 tbsp. l.;
• salt, pepper to taste.

How to do:

1. Mix the herbs and ground pepper with the oil and let it soak in their aromas.
2. After 5 minutes, add mayonnaise and vinegar, mix again and add some salt if necessary.

You can add one of the herbs, or mix them, they harmonize well with each other. Pizza with balsamic sauce is very flavorful.

And if you don’t like store-bought mayonnaise, then you can make it at home. For those who are watching their figure, we have a recipe for PP mayonnaise.

For meat

We will prepare a sauce with balsamic vinegar for meat based on RU sauce. Its spice and sourness will make even ordinary boiled meat very tasty. Also, if you want to surprise your guests with a non-banal barbecue sauce, then serve it.

We will need:

• balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• chili pepper – 0.5 pods;
• butter – 1 tbsp. l.;
• flour – 1 tbsp. L.;
• meat or chicken broth – 1 cup (200 ml);
• salt, pepper to taste.

How to cook:

1. Grind the garlic and pepper, the finer the finer, the more homogeneous the sauce will be and set them aside for now.
2. Start melting the butter in a frying pan, then slowly add flour into it and fry everything until the flour is golden brown.
3. Then add the broth little by little, constantly stirring with a whisk until the broth becomes thick without lumps.
4. Add vinegar, garlic and chili, salt, pepper, stir and the sauce is ready!

You don’t have to chop the pepper, but cut it into thin rings diagonally. This way they will look beautiful in the sauce. By the way, it is excellent as sauce for a burger or sandwich.

Balsamic cream sauce

This is perhaps the simplest recipe, consisting of one ingredient – balsamic vinegar. But here we advise you to buy high-quality vinegar, with a good, correct composition. This way the taste of the cream sauce will be richer and more aromatic.

And this is how to do it:

1. The preparation is not complicated, you just need to put the vinegar on the fire and bring to a boil.
2. Then reduce and evaporate for 15-20 minutes, the volume should decrease by about 5 times.

If you feel like there is not enough sweetness, add a little honey to the cooled sauce and stir. Balsamic cream can also be used with any dishes. And due to its ductility, it is also beautiful to decorate your creations.

With honey

A sauce made from balsamic vinegar and honey, with the addition of garlic, is what chicken loves. It’s especially good with poultry, but it’s just as good as a salad dressing.

Composition:

• balsamic vinegar – 50 ml.;
• olive oil – 50 ml;
• water – 50 ml.;
• honey – 1 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• table mustard – 1 tsp;
• lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt to taste.

Step by step recipe:

1. Grate the garlic or pass it through a press, you can make garlic puree and add to the oil.
2. If the honey is solid, you need to melt it in the microwave or in a water bath.
3. Mix water, vinegar, lemon juice and mustard, then mix everything with honey.
4. Now we combine everything with garlic oil, mix, add some salt and the honey sauce is ready!

Mustard is a must in this sauce; it will act as an emulsifier and prevent the sauce from separating. This honey balsamic dressing can also be used as a glaze for chicken.

But in this case, do not add water, but simply spread it on the bird before baking in the oven.

With greens

Now let’s prepare the green balsamic dressing. It can be used as spaghetti sauceand pasta.

Composition:

• balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.;
• Extra Virgin olive oil – 0.5 cups;
• basil – 0.5 bunch;
• cilantro – 0.5 bunches;
• parsley – 0.5 bunch;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• salt, pepper to taste.

Cooking process:

1. We peel the garlic and cut the cloves in half, chop the greens a little too, all this is needed so that the blender can chop it better.
2. Now pour oil and vinegar into a blender bowl, add herbs and garlic, and grind into porridge.
3. Salt, pepper and it’s done!

Fry toast or croutons, take any snacks and dip them in it. We are sure you will like it. Add Parmesan and nuts to it and you have Pesto sauce. And if you add capers and anchovies, you get Salsa Verde.

With lemon or orange

We will make lemon balsamic sauce based on lemon vinegar, which we will also prepare ourselves. For orange, replace lemon with orange accordingly.

For vinegar we need:

• lemon/orange – 1 pc.;
• apple cider vinegar – 0.75 l.;
• sugar – 50 gr.

Making vinegar:

1. Soak the lemon in cold water without peeling for 30 minutes.
2. Then we chop it, remove the seeds and grind it in a blender along with the peel and sugar.
3. We put everything into a jar and fill it with apple cider vinegar, cover it with gauze and put it in a dark place for 10 days.
4. Then you need to strain the vinegar through cheesecloth and you’re done!

For the Lemon Balsamic Sauce:

• the resulting lemon vinegar – 250 ml;
• white balsamic vinegar – 250 ml.;
• cane sugar – 400 gr.

Making the Lemon Balsamic Sauce:

1. Mix both vinegars, add sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Stirring occasionally, after boiling, reduce the heat and evaporate for another 15-20 minutes.
3. Let it cool and see if the cream sauce is thick enough; if not, evaporate it some more.

Keep in mind that you need to check the cooled sauce for thickness. Without waiting for the entire sauce to cool, you can cool a test teaspoon on a saucer in the refrigerator. Raspberry balsamic sauce is prepared using the same principle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB4zmD1qmq8

Creamy

We will prepare a balsamic sweet and sour creamy sauce based on Bechamel. It is perfect for pasta, potatoes and even as a sauce for rice.

Composition:

• butter – 2 tbsp. l.;
• cream (any fat content) – 200 ml;
• white balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.;
• hard cheese – 50 gr.;
• salt, pepper to taste.

How to do:

1. Melt the butter and add vinegar and flour to it, fry until a nutty smell appears.
2. Then pour in the cream in small portions and stir with a whisk.
3. Next, add the grated cheese and stir until it is completely dissolved.
4. Pepper and add salt if necessary, the creamy cream sauce is ready!

This makes a thick enough dip sauce for dipping. Great  for French fries or as a sauce for country-style potatoes .

For desserts

Yes, yes, balsamic sauce can be dessert. Its sweet and sour taste perfectly complements cakes and ice cream. Balsamic sauce with orange and chocolate, it couldn’t be better for pancakes.

Composition:

• balsamic vinegar – 300 ml;
• orange – 1 pc.;
• honey – 3 h. l.;
• dark chocolate – 0.5 bars;
• cinnamon – 1 pinch.

Homemade recipe:

1. In a saucepan, remove the zest from the orange and squeeze out the juice.
2. Separately, grate the ginger and squeeze the juice into the same saucepan.
3. Add honey and vinegar there and put it on medium heat, begin to evaporate for 15-20 minutes.
4. Strain the future sauce through a sieve and place on low heat.
5. Add grated chocolate and start stirring until smooth.
6. Throw in the cinnamon and the balsamic sauce with chocolate is ready!

This chocolate sauce can be used as fondue, dipping it contains fruits and berries. But then we recommend adding a little cream and replacing the cinnamon with vanilla.

What do they eat with?

And now about what you can still eat balsamic sauce with. As you already understood from our recipes, you can add it anywhere. From sliced ​​beets to ice cream, we will list just a few of the dishes.

• any pasta;
• vegetables and salads;
• sandwiches, sandwiches and burgers;
• rice, bulgur, pea porridge;
• potatoes in any form;
• meat, poultry, fish and seafood;
• cheeses and casseroles;
• pastries and ice cream.

This is just a short list of what this delicious cream sauce is eaten with. They marinate in it, bake with it, and boil with it. Do with it whatever your imagination allows you to do.

What can be replaced

Balsamic sauce cannot be completely replaced. People write on the Internet about adding sugar to apple cider vinegar, but that’s not the case at all. Apple is still harsh and not so “noble”. Cream sauce cannot be replaced at all; ordinary vinegar cannot reproduce its thickness.

It’s better to cook it yourself, especially since you just need to evaporate the balsamic vinegar. This is a very simple recipe, but by the way, you already know them.

Where to buy and how to choose

Nowadays, it can be purchased at any larger supermarket. And it’s certainly available in hypermarkets, the names of which you already know. Of course, online stores, you can buy everything there now, and they will also deliver it to your home.

If you want to choose a quality product, then you should not save. The composition must be natural, without preservatives and other chemicals. There should be no sugar, only fruit or berry ingredients.

It is convenient to use cream sauce when the bottle has a narrow neck or nozzle. In addition, this will allow you to beautifully decorate dishes.

After opening or making homemade sauce, it is best to store it in the refrigerator on the door. Factory-made sauces indicate the date and method of storage. Homemade balsamic can be stored for about a month.