Expert tips

• Partially cover when cooking – this does two things.  Using a lid protects your kitchen environment from colorful blueberry splatter and it keeps much of the liquid from evaporating.  To keep the sauce thin enough, partially covering the pot to let a little steam escape is a good idea.
• Let the sauce cool – blending hot liquids in a blender takes a little care.  When blending, pressure from hot ingredients builds in the blender and can lead to an explosive situation either during blending or when upon opening.  Let the sauce cool to where it’s warm, rather than hot.  It happens pretty fast – only about 20 minutes.
• Use care with an immersion blender – using an immersion blender in the pot, requires extra care.  Blueberries tend to stain and the splatter may add extra color to your walls!
• Don’t cook too long – only cook until the blueberries are soft and mashable, about 20 minutes.  Blueberries contain a fair amount of pectin, which can lead to a very thick sauce.  The longer it’s cooked, the thicker it will become.  If you want more of a jam consistency, then cook longer, to desired consistency and there’s no need to use a lid to cover the pot.
• Always rinse and pick through the berries – rinse off any debris and look for mushy, moldy or dried berries to toss out.  Sometimes there are stems and leaves still attached to the berries that should be removed.

Variations

• Thick and chunky – don’t blend for a thicker and chunky sauce – not blending gives more texture and makes it more like a chutney, especially if you choose to add sautéed onion, shallots or garlic (see below)
• Add herbs – my favorite flavors that combine with sweet blueberries are lavender, thyme and tarragon
• Replace the lemon with orange – use orange juice in place of lemon juice.  Or, consider other juices like pomegranate, pineapple or cranberry.  Keep in mind that these will add more carbs to the recipe.
• Use different berries – replace the blueberries with blackberries, raspberries, marion berries, strawberries or a use combination
• Onion, shallot or garlic – if you don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet and want to add onion, garlic or shallots, they are delicious additions.  Finely chop and sauté in the pot with oil or butter until translucent.  Then add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook according to the instructions.
• Whole30 BBQ sauce – eliminate the sweetener and consider adding chopped dates for extra sweetness.  Be sure the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce brands are compliant or consider making them homemade.
• Paleo BBQ Sauce – use your favorite sweetener - honey and coconut sugar are great options.