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Una botella de vidrio con salsa Lizano casera sobre A wooden cutting board next to an onion, a carrot, and a bell pepper, with a plate of gallo pinto in the background.

Homemade Lizano Sauce

A homemade version of Costa Rica’s classic Lizano Sauce, made with vegetables, spices, molasses, and vinegar. It is savory, slightly sweet, tangy, and perfect for gallo pinto, shrimp rice, beans, meats, and other Costa Rican recipes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Seasoning
Cuisine Costa Rican
Servings 2 Liters

Equipment

  • 1 large pot
  • 1 Cutting board and knife
  • 1 Blender
  • 1 Funnel
  • measuring cups

Ingredients
  

  • ½ medium head cauliflower
  • ½ red bell pepper
  • ½ medium onion
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • ½ medium carrot
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 5 cups of water
  • ½ teaspoon chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoon mustard
  • 5 tablespoon Molasses
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Wash all the vegetables thoroughly, cut them into small pieces, and place them in a large pot. Add the water.
  • Place the pot over medium heat. Once the water begins to simmer, reduce the heat and cook for about 50 minutes, keeping it at a gentle simmer.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully transfer it to a blender and blend for about 1 minute, starting at low speed.
  • Carefully pour the blended vegetable mixture back into the pot.
  • Add the chile powder, celery seeds, cumin, oregano, mustard, molasses, and apple cider vinegar. Stir until well combined.
  • Add the salt gradually, tasting between each addition, and continue cooking until the sauce reaches your preferred flavor and consistency.
  • Cook the sauce over low heat for about 1 hour. Check it every 5 to 10 minutes and avoid letting it boil with large bubbles.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Blend again for approximately 3 minutes or until smooth.
  • Using a funnel, transfer the sauce to clean bottles or jars. Let it cool completely, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • Keep both cooking stages at a gentle simmer to prevent too much liquid from evaporating and to reduce splattering.
  • Add the salt gradually because the flavor becomes more concentrated as the sauce cooks.
  • The sauce will thicken as it reduces and may become slightly thicker once it cools.
  • Store the sauce in very clean bottles or jars with tight-fitting lids and keep it refrigerated.
  • For longer storage, divide the sauce into smaller portions and freeze what you will not use soon.
🔗 For more recipes like this one, visit thelatinspoon.com or join me on my YouTube channel .
Keyword Homemade