Homemade Browning Sauce
Homemade Browning Sauce is a dark sauce, used to add flavor and color to stew, gravy and even cakes. It is every easy to make and only contains two ingredients.
Every Caribbean home always have a bottle of Browning Sauce in their cupboard besides all their seasonings. I don’t think any home is complete without one because it’s multipurpose.
Making this Homemade Browning Sauce is so easy and way cheaper than buying it in the store because the main ingredients is right in your pantry.
The best thing about this Browning Sauce besides easy is that it has no additives or preservatives in it like the store bought type. I do use the store bought type at times, but I find out that making it at home is way better and cheaper.
What is Browning Sauce?
Browning Sauce is a combination of seasonings, vegetable concentrates and caramelized sugar. It adds flavor to stews, gravies, meaty dishes and also adds color to cakes.
In Jamaica it is used mostly in Christmas Cakes, Stew Pork, Oxtails with Butter Beans and Brown Stew Chicken.
Always keep in mind that a little bit of Browning Sauce goes a long way. With too much, it leaves a bitter taste, so always start out with just half a teaspoon to 1 teaspoon.
This Homemade Browning Sauce is a great substitute to Kitchen Bouquet Browning and Gravy Master Browning.
How to store your Homemade Browning Sauce?
You can store this Browning Sauce in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Mix-Ins Option
The main two ingredients for making the home version browning sauce it brown sugar and hot water. However, some people add these options to the base of it.
- Salt I didn’t add any to the base because I wanted to add to cakes too. However, you can add it if you wont be adding it to any cakes, but just gravy, stews and soups. For this recipe, about 1 teaspoon to the sauce once it is cooled and stir. Then pour it into your container.
- Beef broth or Beef Bouillon: Add this for additional flavor to your stews, gravy and soups.
How to make Homemade Browning Sauce from scratch?
Firstly, pour the brown sugar in a medium sauce pan, over medium low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon as it melt.
Secondly, once the sugar starts to get dark, remove from the heat. Slowly add the boiling water little by little and continue to stir.
Finally, allow to cool before pouring it into an airtight container.
Homemade Browning Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup hot (boiling) Water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar over medium low heat.
- Stir with a wooden spoon as the brown sugar begins to melt and turn into a dark syrup consistency. If it begins to smoke before it gets a dark color, turn the heat down and remove from the heat for awhile.
- Once it darkens, remove from the stove.
- Slowly add the boiling water, little by little. Keep in mind that the sauce pan will steam a lot. Continue to stir.
- Allow to cool. Pour into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
Notes
- Never use cold water. It will cause the heated sugar to clump, gets hard and not dissolve.
- If it begins to smoke as it melts before it gets to a dark color, turn the heat down and remove from the heat for a while.
- Please keep the heat on low (if your stove has numbers, I kept it at 3 once the starts to melt) so it doesn’t smoke too much.
- Keep the fan on while the sugar melts and starts to smoke to prevent too much smoke escaping throughout the house.
Please let me know what you think about this Homemade Browning Sauce in the comment section below.
Thanks for stopping by and please come back again.
Blessings and Love, as you carry on, on your YouNique Journey!
Homemade Browning Sauce
Homemade Browning Sauce is a dark sauce, used to add flavor and color to stew, gravy and even cakes. It is every easy to make and only contains two ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup hot (boiling) Water
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar over medium low heat.
- Stir with a wooden spoon as the brown sugar begins to melt and turn into a dark syrup consistency. If it begins to smoke before it gets a dark color, turn the heat down and remove from the heat for awhile.
- Once it darkens, remove from the stove.
- Slowly add the boiling water, little by little. Keep in mind that the sauce pan will steam a lot. Continue to stir.
- Allow to cool. Pour into an air tight container and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
Notes
- Never use cold water. It will cause the heated sugar to clump, gets hard and not dissolve.
- If it begins to smoke as it melts before it gets to a dark color, turn the heat down and remove from the heat for a while.
- Please keep the heat on low (if your stove has numbers, I kept it at 3 once the starts to melt) so it doesn't smoke too much.
- Keep the fan on while the sugar melts and starts to smoke to prevent too much smoke escaping throughout the house.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3/4 cup Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 17mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 0gSugar: 59gProtein: 0g
The nutritional information that is provided, is computer generated and therefore it is an estimate. Please do your own research with the ingredients that are listed here, if you have any concern about any specific diet or your health.
12 Comments
Lyn
Worked nicely for me. Instructions thorough.
Thank you 😀
Yanique Vincent
I am glad it worked out for you. No, thank you Lyn.
Fiyah Rhedz
Worked great for me as well…. Tonks!!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Yanique Vincent
Hi Fiyah,
I am glad it worked for you….You are most welcome. Even though it’s gone already, Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you had a beautiful and blessed one with your family. Thanks again.
Diana Johnston
Thank you so much for this browning recipe!!!! Grace Browning Liquid was hard to come by here locally so I gave your recipe a whirl and it turned out GREAT!!
Just a note to anyone trying this, it is time-consuming. To get to the dark colour it took me almost 3 hrs. I would stir periodically every 10 mins or so. I used a good quality, heavy, non-stick pot.
I am looking forward to making my first Black Cake, my fruits have been soaking since Sept. Merry Christmas and thanks for this awesome recipe.
Yanique Vincent
Hi Diana,
Thank you so much for this feedback. Yes it is a time consuming process indeed lol. Plus it let your house have a smell but it is worth it a lot. If you don’t mind, please give it a star rating. Thanks again for giving it a try.
All the very best with baking your Black Cake. I have been baking fruit cake before Thanksgiving Day lol. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes. Thanks again.
Catherine Francis
I am going to try and make this in a few days, my husband is St Lucian and we are making some “fruit cake” for Christmas. How long does it last? Can I keep what I don’t use in the fridge? Thanks so much!
Yanique Vincent
Hi Catherine,
Yes you can keep the rest in the fridge for storage. All the very best. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year when it comes.
Paulette Tempro
I tried this technique but the sauce came out very bitter. What an I doing wrong??
Yanique Vincent
Hi Paulette,
I am so sorry it came out bitter. The only thing that I can suggest is to slowly burn the sugar on low heat so it doesn’t burn too quick. Plus, as soon as it get to the color you want, then add the water and continue stirring.
One of my readers said she did it and it took her 3 hours and it came out good. Again, I am so sorry it came out very bitter. I hope you give it another try.
Rodney
Can this be frozen so it lasts longer then just put in a refrigerator for 6 months
Yanique Vincent
Hi Rodney,
To be honest, I have never seen or heard of anyone freezing browning sauce before. I have never done it, so I am not sure if it is possible. Sorry I wasn’t helpful.