Sweet n Sour sauce

[letscook]

I love the red sweet n sour sauce that they use for the sweet n sour chicken or shrimp. I haven't come up with a close enough recipe for it . does anyone have one. I have been buying the Lachoy brand in the store but, love to make it myself. thanks

[wasabi woman]

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice)
1 tbl red wine vinegar
6 tbls granulated sugar (1/4 cup + 2 tbs)
1/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1 1/2 tsps cornstarch
2 tsps water

Combine cornstarch and water. Set aside.
In saucepan, heat remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved and liquid is hot.
Slowly add the cornstarch and water mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Serve warm or room temperature. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Good Luck!

[jpinmaryland]

I would definitely use ginger with that. Either in the sauce or to fry with. There is some sort of magic that happens when ginger meets ketchup. I think.

[letscook]

thank you

[Darkstream]

The truth is that sweet &sour sauce is WHAT YOU MAKE IT.

A good standard recipe is to start off with: 1 tab sugar and one tab of red wine vinegar, 1 tab of cornflour thickening and one tab of soy sauce (first tab thick/dark any later, light), plus your RED FOOD COLOURING, a small dash to give it that deep colour.

Then:
my normal:

Cantonese style: use fresh pineapple, green pepper, carrot rounds, onion quarters, and of course pineapple. Dilute with orange juice.


OR:

Chinese vinegar, sugar, cornflour, preserved vegetable (canned), Sezchuan preserved vegetable, some fresh fruit del la saison, bean curd cheese, and a bit of what you fancy. You can add some chilis also if it is not hot enough.

Experiment.

If you want swet & sour, then do that.

Hot&salty, do that.

Tomato, is NOT normally a constituent of a sweet or hot sour sauce, except in the west.

[kansasgirl]

This is a good sauce with a good balance of both sweet and sour.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 tb Cornstarch
1/3 c Water
6 tb Brown sugar
1/4 c Rice vinegar
1/4 c Orange juice (or 1 tb OJ concentrate)
3 tb Tomato puree (ketchup can be used)
3 tb Lemon juice
2 ts Soy sauce
1/2 ts Ginger root, minced
1/2 ts Hot chili oil, more or less to taste
1/4 ts Hot sauce, more or less to taste
1 tb Pickled ginger, shredded, (optional)

1.Mix cornstarch and water. Add rest of ingredients to the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until glossy and thickened. Cool to room temp and store in jars in the refrigerator.