FROM THE FARM: Add winning sauces to holiday barbecue

It's the final day of August and summer has slipped away.

But at least there is still one more holiday weekend for grilling and family barbecues.

And to sweeten celebrations, I have two wonderful winning recipes to share from a recent barbecue sauce contest for employees at the Valparaiso hospital campus of Porter Health System.

Both recipes contain vinegar, a favorite ingredient in farm pantries.

This month, vinegar was key when we made bread and butter pickles, old fashioned crock dill pickles and pickle lilly relish.

The term "vinegar" actually comes from a French word that means "sour wine." And while making homemade grape and dandelion wine in the cellar stone crocks at the farm, we always have to be careful during the fermentation process that the batches don't "turn" and result in vinegar.

Aunt Rose, the wife of my dad's oldest brother, Joe, was always a fan of vinegar, especially for home remedies for everything from arthritis to indigestion. In addition to creating an ideal low-calorie salad dressing, Aunt Rose believed cider vinegar mixed with honey helped soothe joint pain.

Today's showcased barbecue sauce recipes, containing either cider or white vinegar, are from Jennifer Jacob and Leanna Boylstein, both of Valparaiso. They were the top winners of the hospital's barbecue sauce contest.

Congrats and safe travels for a wonderful holiday weekend to all readers.

Jennifer's Sweet & Savory Raspberry-Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (thick-style)

1-1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (skimmed from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, which can be found in the ethnic food section of supermarkets)

1/2 tablespoon of jalepeño pepper juice

1 cup raspberry preserves

DIRECTIONS: Add all ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat. Stir thoroughly and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Makes 3 cups sauce.

Leanna's Sweet & Tangy Barbecue Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

DIRECTIONS: Mix ingredients thoroughly in a bowl; cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. The barbecue sauce is best prepared the day before use.

Makes 4 cups.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327.