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Next weekend marks the unofficial start of barbecue season. There'll be plenty of time over the next three months for experimenting with grilled octopus and DIY grilled salt-and-vinegar chips, but we say stick to the basics for the inaugural outdoor picnic: burgers and dogs. Just keep things interesting with these three new sauces.

A Ketchup with No Mystery Ingredients
Using vine-ripened pear tomato puree instead of tomato concentrate is just one of the tweaks that makes Sir Kensington's Gourmet Scooping Ketchup taste less sweet and more, well, tomato-y. Other upgrades that set this ketchup apart: agave nectar, honey and raw brown sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup; apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar; and coriander, lime juice and allspice instead of salt and onion powder.


An Artisanal Mayonnaise to Put On Pretty Much Everything
Available in flavors like bacon, black garlic, nori and preserved lemon, the mayos from Empire Mayonnaise Co. are anything but boring. The Brooklyn company is constantly coming up with new combinations, and they sell out quickly (follow them on Twitter to up your chances of scoring a coveted jar).

A Burger Spread So Good, You'll Skip the Cheese
A dollop of Blackberry Farm Mushroom Spread on top of a hamburger adds such delicious, earthy flavor, you won't need much else (aside from maybe a slice of red onion or two). It's made from a mix of crimini, button and  shiitake mushrooms, plus sherry vinegar and olive oil.

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