Carter Family Recipes

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Condiments & Pantry Staples

A condiment or pantry component can change a meal with a small addition of flavor. Compound butters, pickles, preserves, seasonings, and prepared ingredients bring different possibilities to this collection. Browse for something to spread, stir in, spoon over, or keep ready for another recipe, with attention to the storage instructions in each preparation.

Browse the posts below, or choose a subcategory when available.

  • Compound Butters

    Basil, lime, herbs, and spices turn butter into a concentrated finishing ingredient. These compound butters offer ways to add flavor to a dish through a small portion of seasoned butter.

  • Jams & Jellies

    Jams, jellies, fruit butters, and chutneys preserve fruit in different textures and balances of sweetness. Strawberry-jalapeño jam and cranberry chutney offer contrasting starting points for a spread or accompaniment.

  • Marinades

    Ginger ale and mojo preparations offer different flavor directions for a marinade. These recipes provide a seasoned liquid to accompany the treatment and cooking of another ingredient.

  • Mayonnaise, Aioli & Emulsified Condiments

    Mayonnaise and related creamy preparations bring ingredients together into a smooth condiment. Scallion-lemon mayonnaise offers one starting point for a spread or sauce with acidity and savory flavor.

  • Mustards, Ketchups & Table Condiments

    Mustard sauces, burger sauces, and other table condiments add concentrated flavor to a finished dish. Choose a preparation for spreading, dipping, or serving alongside the food at the table.

  • Oils & Infusions

    Basil oils and other infusions carry flavor into a liquid ingredient. These preparations offer a finishing or seasoning component, with attention to the method and storage directions in each recipe.

  • Pestos

    Herbs, citrus, and carrot tops give these pestos different flavors and textures. Browse blended or worked sauces to stir into another dish or serve in a small amount alongside it.

  • Pickles & Ferments

    Pickled peaches, strawberries, and green onions show that preserving with acidity extends beyond cucumbers. Fermented preparations add another approach, with each recipe setting out its own method and storage requirements.

  • Prepared Pantry Ingredients

    Sun-dried tomatoes, seasoned bread crumbs, and soup mixes can provide a head start for another dish. These prepared pantry ingredients build flavor or texture before the final recipe begins.

  • Relishes & Salsas

    Cucumber salsa, jalapeño relish, and roasted salsa ranchera offer different ways to combine chopped or cooked ingredients. These accompaniments bring freshness, acidity, or heat to another dish.

  • Seasonings, Salts & Rubs

    Basil salt, rosemary sea salt, and chile verde seasoning offer ways to keep a particular flavor ready to use. These seasonings and rubs provide small additions for building a dish.

  • Spreads, Pastes & Curds

    Tzatziki, strawberry cream cheese, and tahini give this collection several kinds of spread and paste. Browse preparations with different bases and textures for spreading, stirring, or serving alongside another dish.

  • Substitutes

    A substitute can help when a recipe calls for an ingredient you do not have. These preparations offer alternatives for cream, buttermilk, and mascarpone, with results that depend on the intended use.

  • Syrups & Sweet Toppings

    Strawberry syrup, a salted chocolate-hazelnut syrup, and orange glaze offer sweet finishes with different flavors. These toppings provide a pourable or spreadable addition to a suitable dish.

In this collection

  • Sriracha Sauce

    Sriracha Sauce

    This homemade version of the insanely popular Thai hot chile-garlic sauce is thinner and fresher-tasting than store-bought. It needs a few days to ferment at room temperature, but…

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  • Date Paste – The Ultimate Sweetner

    Date Paste – The Ultimate Sweetner

    Ingredients 450g pitted dates 3/4 cup water 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt Preparation Pack your pitted dates real tight in a Mason type glass…

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  • Pickled Beets

    Just six ingredients go into this easy sweet-and-sour pickled beets side dish. Ingredients 2 15-ounce cans Libby’s Small Whole Beets 2 cinnamon sticks 1 cup beet water 1 cup…

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  • Grapefruit Curd

    Grapefruit Curd

    A smooth, citrusy, and tart concoction that you can smear over angel food cake, toast, or scones. Ingredients 2 eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1 Tablespoon grapefruit zest (about…

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  • Ginger Paste

    Use half the amount of ginger paste if a recipe calls for ground ginger. Keep refrigerated 3 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months. Ingredients 1 1/2…

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  • Homemade Coarse Ground Mustard

    Let’s be honest — squeezable mustard from the store is boring. Liven up your BBQ spread with DIY mustard. Make it hot (Creole) or sweet (cranberry). Ingredients 2/3…

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  • Mexican Pickled Pintos, Corn, and Poblanos

    Smoky roasted poblanos, sweet corn, and tender pinto beans meet a tangy, cumin-scented dressing in this colorful Mexican-inspired relish. Spoon it over tacos, pile it onto tostadas, or…

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  • Coconut Butter

    Coconut Butter

    People seem to be still be going crazy for coconut butter. For good reason though. It’s delicious and healthy but also comes with a hefty price tag. That’s…

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  • Smoked Balsamic Vinegar

    Ingredients 100g Balsamic vinegar 0.8g Xanthan gum Oak chips for smoking Preparation Blend the Xanthan Gum into the balsamic vinegar using a hand blender. Place the thickened balsamic…

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  • Brandied Fruit

    An innovative use of yeast in fermenting favorite fruits for a sauce used on desserts, meats and many other foods. Many people prepare Brandied Fruit Sauce in decorative…

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