Almost all fridges in North America are stocked with the same set of condiments. Somewhere we all must have agreed that certain foods needed to be served with a side of sauce that comes from a squeeze bottle or heavily branded glass jar. It wasn’t always this way. French cuisine was built on a foundation of delicious sauces made fresh in the kitchen with real ingredients. It’s a proud tradition that you can easily be a part of.

I know what you’re thinking: “Make my own condiments? I like my (insert brand-name condiment here).” Sure, but do you know what’s in it? Take a look at the list of ingredients and you’ll often see strange words with many syllables. Store-bought condiments also tend to have a lot of sodium or sugar, which you might be trying to avoid. Making your own means better control over the ingredients, it gives you the chance to customize the flavors to your preferences, and, in my opinion, homemade sauces taste way better than store-bought stuff that sits in the fridge for, literally, years.

Also, “I make my own mayo,” is the best conversation starter ever.

Want to give it a go? Start with these.

Mustard

Mustard is a great place to start, since you likely already have a strong opinion of what you like, due to the many types available, from plain yellow to Dijon to spicy. Plus, it goes with a lot of different foods, from roast chicken to hot dogs to pretzels. If you’re into the hot stuff, try this recipe, which relies on paprika to bring the heat. More into classic Dijon-style stuff? This version uses brown and yellow mustard seeds to provide the base, plus lots of vinegar.

Mayonnaise

I’ve made mayonnaise a few times, and I’ll never go back to the not-fresh stuff. But the first time I tried it didn’t work—I added the olive oil too quickly. Then I watched this video and made it alongside Jamie Oliver, and it set like a charm and tasted even better. Mayonnaise is kind of a gateway condiment—soon you’ll be whipping up batches of tartar sauce or hollandaise.

Barbeque Sauce

Grilling season is coming up, and that means barbeques. There’s nothing better than a nice brown sauce to compliment your steak or chicken or tofurky or whatever you like. Barbeque sauces come in all shapes and smokinesses, so you might have to search around for one that hits your taste buds in just the right way. This Smoky Chipotle-Honey BBQ Sauce is delicious and packs a ton of flavor. Give it a spin and let us know what you think.

Ketchup

You can’t talk condiments with mentioning the big guy: ketchup. It’s ubiquitous on burgers, french fries, grilled cheese and much more. We all have our favorite kind, but I guarantee if you try making it for yourself, your favorite producer will be your own two hands. Jamie Oliver’s recipe is a great place to start, featuring fennel, onion, garlic, celery, tons of herbs and, of course, a whole whack of tomatoes.

Hot Sauce

Got a thing for heat? Check out this post on the Luvo blog that goes into great detail about all things hot sauce.

Would you consider making your own condiments? Which ones? Let us know what you’ve tried and what you’ll never do again. Share your stories in the comments or over on Twitter at @luvoinc.