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Worcestershire sauce is one of those magical flavor-enhancing ingredients that I splash into just about everything savory. Something not quite right about a soup? Probably needs Worcestershire.
Chili a bit bland? Worcestershire sauce saves the day again.
As we work towards making more of our own foods, including condiments, from scratch I got to wondering…what’s in this stuff anyway?
I’ll admit I was pretty intimidated by making my own Worcestershire sauce.
The old school traditional version is fermented in casks for over a year and contains a lot of fresh fish that slowly ferment during the process.
The original Worcestershire sauce recipe that was developed in England in the early 1800s is based on a fermented fish sauce that dates all the way back to the Roman Empire.
These days there are plenty of brands of Worcestershire sauce, and all of them have a slightly different flavor and consistency.
Worcestershire Sauce Ingredients
The two most commonly available versions, in the US at least, are Lee and Perrins and Annie’s Organics.
Since Lee and Perrins was founded in 1837 by the people that actually invented what is known today as Worcestershire sauce, their version is obviously the most “traditional.”
The Annie’s version has a much thicker consistency, and it’s vegan, so it lacks anchovies which are a key ingredient that provides most of the “umami” flavor that Worcestershire sauce is known for.
Either way, the Worcestershire Sauce ingredients lists for both commercial versions give you a good idea of how to make your own. Unfortunately, “natural flavorings” can be just about anything, but still, it’s a nudge in the right direction.
Lee and Perrins Worcestershire sauce Ingredients: Distilled white vinegar, anchovies, garlic, molasses, onions, salt, sugar, water, chili pepper extract, cloves, natural flavorings, tamarind extract
Annie’s Organics Ingredients (Vegan): Water, Apple Cider Vinegar, Molasses, Soy Sauce (Water, Soybean, Salt, Wheat, Alcohol), Cane Sugar, Tamarind, Sea Salt, Cornstarch, Xanthan Gum, Garlic, Onion, Clove, Chili Pepper.
Since I find the thick texture of Annie’s version pretty unappealing, I won’t be adding any corn starch or xantham gum. The thick dip-able texture is a better choice for a steak sauce like A1, but that more or less makes the vegan aspect pointless…
Choosing a Worcestershire Sauce Recipe
I started combing the internet for Worcestershire sauce recipes and I didn’t make it very far.
Just about all of them are a mixture of cider vinegar and soy sauce, with a few seasonings thrown in. None that I found contained anchovies, and all of them are ready to use as soon as you whisk them together.
Sure, instant gratification is nice, and it’s great for making a quick Worcestershire sauce substitute if you happen to run out…but it’s not what I’m going for. I’m trying to craft something special, and waiting for the flavors to come together just right is part of the process.
Disappointed, I shelved the project until I came across a recipe for Worcestershire sauce in The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. The ingredients list is long, but reading through it, I happened to have all the ingredients waiting in my pantry.
To be fair, I have a pretty well-equipped pantry, and most people probably don’t have tamarind paste or anchovies in stock at all times. Beyond those two things, the recipe is pretty basic pantry staples and spices.
The original recipe called for 1 tsp. anchovy paste and I’ve instead used a 2oz can of whole anchovies. A single teaspoon didn’t seem like nearly enough, especially since it’s the second ingredient in the Lee and Perrins Worcestershire sauce ingredient list.
I also substituted maple syrup for the brown sugar since we make our own homemade maple and have plenty on hand.
After a month of aging in the pantry, this homemade Worcestershire sauce is incredibly satisfying. It tastes surprisingly like the original, but with a little bit more warmth of flavor.
As an added bonus, I also have a jar full of Worcestershire sauce paste that was filtered out of the liquid sauce. It’s chunky, but has all the flavor of the original sauce.
The original recipe says to discard it, but that’s a shame. I’m saving it to add by the spoonful to soups. I imagine it could also be pureed finely and then dehydrated for use as a Worcestershire sauce powder.
So all in all, is it worth the extra effort to make your own Worcestershire sauce?
It’s a fun project, and I’m amazed by how good it tastes. It’s less salty than the original, and the flavor is warmer.
I’m very happy with the results. I’ll make it again for sure.
This homemade version doesn’t exactly save money, and it’s not made with homemade ingredients either (unless you can grow both your own tamarind and anchovies…) but it is incredibly tasty.
Saving money and producing everything 100% yourself doesn’t have to be the only reason to try making something from scratch.
Sometimes it’s worth it just for fun kitchen science, with delicious results!
Homemade Condiments & Preserves
Looking for more easy homemade condiments and preserves?
Homemade Worcestershire Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup un-sulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup tamarind paste
- 2- ounce can anchovies
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1- inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
- 6-8 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 cups white vinegar, divided
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 Tbsp. kosher or canning salt
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. whole cloves
- 1 tsp. black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour boiling water over raisins in a small bowl and allow to stand 15 minutes until raisins are softened. Drain and discard water.
- Place raisins, molasses, tamarind paste, anchovies, onion, ginger, garlic and half the vinegar (1 cup) into a food processor. Process until smooth.
- Pour the pureed mixture into a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients (including remaining vinegar). Bring the whole mixture to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Pour the mixture into a 1 quart canning jar, seal with a plastic lid and store in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month (or longer for stronger flavors).
- After aging, pour the sauce through a fine mesh sieve before use.
Home Preservation Projects
Looking for more from tasty home food preservation projects? Try any of these:
- How to make Pickled Eggs
- Dill Pickles Recipe for Canning
- Duck Breast Prosciutto (Salt Cured Duck Breast)
- Salt Cured Egg Yolks
I really enjoyed the easiness of this recipe. It is delicious better than store bought. My husband is very impressed by the flavour as he was surprised by the ingredients.
Greetings and thank you so much for all the help that I have received through practicalselfreliance.com over the past few years!
I have a question about the molasses in this recipe.
You call for unsulphered molasses, and I am wondering whether this is due to safety issues or due to flavor profiles?
Thanks so much!
You can use either unsulphered or blackstrap molasses. The original recipe has unsulphered to give it a bit of a lighter flavor profile, but I’ve made it with both and both ways are good. It’s a bit darker/richer with the blackstrap, but there’s so much else going on in there flavor wise that it doesn’t make that much of a difference.
Thank you so much for creating and posting this recipe. I’ve developed an allergy to something in the Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce and I’ve been missing my sloppy joes which use this ingredient. I made the sauce this evening and it already smells nearly the same without the aging process. Next month I’ll sieve it and try it out. Thanks again.
You’re so welcome. We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
Can this be water bath or pressure canned? Or is it shelf stable enough?
The amount of vinegar in this recipe should make it plenty shelf stable. You could also just safely store it in the fridge.
Can I use fresh anchovies, here in Turkey it’s still the season and I think fresh is better than canned?
Of course you can! That’s amazing that you have access to them fresh.
Can I use dried anchovies instead of the canned ones. since I’ve got a pack of the former and just rehydrate in boiling water? Also, kosher salt is not available in Australia, will normal sea salt do as a substitute?
Yes, those substitutions should work just fine.
By the way, the ancient Greeks used a lot of fermented fish sauce known as garos or Latin garum. It was well known all around the Mediterranean, usually made near salt works. Several Greek writers mention it negatively but perhaps some kinds we’re better than others. See FOOD IN. THE ANCIENT WORLD FROM A TO Z by Andrew Dalby, Routledge,2003.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi!
Just a practical question… when you mention mustard, do you mean actual mustard or mustard powder?
It’s dry mustard so that would be mustard powder.
Why do you pasteurize this and then try to ferment it?
How can it ferment after you boil it??
The original recipes were fermented but this recipe is more about aging than actual fermenting. With that said, Pasteurization is often done prior to fermentation to get rid of existing bacteria so that you can introduce whichever type of bacteria that you want to introduce for the fermentation process.
Thank you for this recipe! My kids & I have celiac disease & I have noticed, through the years, that the L&P Worcestershire sauce recipe can vary & that it occasionally has had wheat in it! I’m happy to be able to make our own. One idea of a use for the Worcestershire paste might be a fun twist on bagna cauda by adding some garlic (mb roasted garlic) & a touch of olive oil?
You’re welcome. We hope you enjoy the recipe and thanks for that great idea!
The first Worcestershire sauce was made by Lea and Perrins. They were trying to replicate a recipe from India. It tasted terrible. Then it was aged in a basement. Aging it over one year made it taste good. So they sold it.
Thank-you for the recipe. I found a recipe for Worcestershire Sauce in a 1932 cookbook by Florence White. “Good Things in England” “Containing Traditional and Regional Recipes suited to Modern Tastes contributed by English Men and Women between 1399 and 1932” That recipe calls for Mushroom Ketchup. Before Ketchup in the 18th century contain mushrooms as primary ingredient. I look forward to trying your version and Florence’s.
You’re welcome. Let us know what you think of the recipe after you’ve tried it.
Hi, I realize this is probably a ridiculous question, but do you think this would still work if I omitted the garlic and onions? I’ve unfortunately got an allium allergy and have been trying to find a recipe that would work without them.
It would definitely affect the flavor for sure but you could certainly try it and see how it works.
After you remove it from heat, do you immediately put it in the jar and seal it? Or do you let it cool before sealing it?
You can go ahead and let it cool.
I got a little excited when making this and thew everything except the reserved vinegar in my Vitamix and blended away before I realized I did a poor job of reading the recipe where you reserve some of the ingredients post-puree. I then added the mixture with the vinegar and brought to a boil. Do you think this will be okay? I plan to make a batch the “correct” way but didn’t want to toss the oopsie batch!
It’s worth a try rather than throwing the whole thing out. Let us know how it goes.
What kind of molasses do you recommend, blackstrap or fancy molasses? Thank you.
Either works fine, but I’m using Blackstrap.
That’s great and I prefer blackstrap for most things but wasn’t sure for this.
Is there a safe way to reduce the sodium /salt you use?
With the amount of vinegar in there, I’d assume that’d be enough to preserve the sauce if you reduced the salt…but I have no way of knowing that for sure. If you do reduce the sodium, I’d suggest keeping it in the refrigerator just to be safe.
Hi there, I saw in the very first comment you answered siting the Ball canning recipe for this. I have never been able to locate a Ball recipe for wocestershire sauce could you please tell me what edition if you remember? Thats
If you look in the post, there is a link to the exact book that the recipe is found in. When you click on that link, it takes you to Amazon where you can look inside the book. It shows the index and you can see there that the Worcestershire recipe is on page 257.
What recipe book was this from it looks extremely familiar
The recipe is in The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving. Here is the link https://amzn.to/2VezUi6