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Flavor-Packed Picnic Condiments

Flavor-Packed Picnic Condiments

The cooks in the EatingWell Test Kitchen know the power of a delicious condimentusing just a little can add a lot of flavor to your meal for just a few calories or replace full-fat mayonnaise and cheese that can really pack unnecessary calories and fat. Plus, with homemade condiments because you know what’s in your food (some processed foods have a long list of hard-to-decipher ingredients.) Pack more flavor into your next picnic with these delicious condiment recipes.

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Cherry Ketchup

Start to finish: 30 mins

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If you think that ketchup is made only from tomatoes, think again! Tart fruit can be simmered into delicious lightly spiced ketchup that makes a fine condiment for just about any poultry or meat.

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Blueberry-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

Start to finish: 40 mins

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It is not every day that you get a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce that also boasts a healthy dose of antioxidants. Try it with beef, chicken, pork or even some grilled shrimp.

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Yellow Pepper Relish

Start to finish: 3 hrs

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A colorful relish for burgers, this is also great stirred into nonfat yogurt for a vegetable dip or combined with light mayonnaise for a zippy salad dressing.

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Sesame Mayonnaise

Start to finish: 5 mins

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Use this tangy mayonnaise to enliven a burger or a chicken sandwich, as a dip for a platter of grilled summer vegetables, or to dress a simple coleslaw of napa cabbage and scallions.

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Quick Chile Dilly Beans

Start to finish: 1 day

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Late in summer, glorious canned goods like dilly beans are up for judging at county fairs and are sold at every farmers' market. Some traditionalists would say that dilly beans are best after a month or so of marinating, but you can get that long-marinated taste in just one day with this quick technique. Any type of green bean can be turned into dilly beans, but super-thin, French-style beans stay tender and are less likely to be stringy or tough.

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Quick Pickles

Start to finish: 45 mins

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Here's a way to make better-than-store-bought pickles in under an hour. The secret is pouring the hot vinegar mixture over slices of cold, crisp cucumber. These pickles have the perfect balance of sour and sweet--though closer to a “bread and butter” taste, they still satisfy the vinegar-loving pickle crowd. In our humble opinion, there's no reason to ever buy another jar of pickles.

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7 of 21

Scallion-Lemon Mayonnaise

Start to finish: 10 mins

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Use this tangy mayonnaise as a sandwich spread or as a dip for a platter of grilled summer vegetables.

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Watermelon Salsa

Start to finish: 20 mins

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Sweet, savory and crunchy salsa accompanies grilled pork or chicken rather nicely. Try it with tortilla chips as a refreshing alternative to a tomato salsa.

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Blueberry Ketchup

Start to finish: 4 hrs 45 mins

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Here's an exceptionally easy condiment, perfect for a summer barbecue. Not only great on burgers, it's terrific as a glaze on grilled salmon or served alongside barbecued chicken.

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Grainy Mustard Sauce

Start to finish: 5 mins

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Pass this mustard sauce at the table to top your pot roast. Spread it on bread and add leftover meat for a sandwich the next day. Substitute horseradish for mustard, if you prefer.

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Olive Ketchup

Start to finish: 10 mins

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This makes a great finish for baked or broiled fish, or serve with Mediterranean Burgers.

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Mango Salsa

Start to finish: 25 mins

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The tropical flavors of this quick mango salsa complement chicken, pork or mild white fish.

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Spicy Banana Ketchup

Start to finish: 40 mins

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The first ketchup was a pickled fish condiment popular in the 17th century in China, discovered by visiting Brits. Creative Americans added tomatoes during Colonial times. Try this savory spicy sauce on a burger, with pork or fish, or even as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers.

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Fire-Roasted Salsa

Start to finish: 20 mins

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Charring fresh tomatoes and jalapeños on the grill gives this chunky pureed salsa great fire-roasted flavor. It works just as well under the broiler and even tastes delicious made with canned fire-roasted tomatoes.

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Teriyaki Pork Chops with Blueberry-Ginger Relish

Start to finish: 2 hrs 30 mins

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Take 5 minutes in the morning to get these pork chops marinating so they're ready to grill the same night or even the next day.

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16 of 21

Avocado-Corn Salsa

Start to finish: 10 mins

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A fresh salsa of avocado and corn is great with simple sautéed fish or just about anything Mexican-inspired--huevos rancheros, a quick quesadilla or atop rice and beans.

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Avocado-Grapefruit Relish

Start to finish: 10 mins

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This relish would also be great tucked into fish tacos.

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Mango-Radish Salsa

Start to finish: 20 mins

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Crisp, peppery diced radishes, sweet, juicy mango and tart lime juice have opposing flavors that come together here to create salsa nirvana. Serve with grilled fish, steak or chicken or just put out a dish of it with some crisp baked corn chips.

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Cool Fresh Corn Relish

Start to finish: 25 mins

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Serve this fresh summertime treat as a vegetable side dish or as a condiment to accompany your favorite grilled fish, chicken or steak.

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Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions

Start to finish: 35 mins

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Spicy Southwest flavors pair with sweet and tangy pickled red onions to create a standout turkey burger. If you're used to having your burgers made of beef with plenty of melted cheese on top, don't worry. You won't be disappointed. Serve with corn on the cob and sweet potato fries.

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