This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table (2024)

This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table (2)

This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table (3)

This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce

This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table (4)

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ByTalin Vartanian/

On the surface, tomato sauce looks easy to make. Take some tomatoes, simmer them in a pot, and voilà! tomato sauce is born (though, to be fair, that is the simplistic version). But there's a deception behind this art form and one that allows for too many mistakes to occur.

One of them lies in the resulting flavors, namely, the overpowering notes of bitterness. Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.

Though tomato sauce is prone to mistakes or flavors that taste off, it also welcomes any potential solutions with open arms. So here's the easiest fix to transform bitter tomato sauce into a palatable mixture fit for classic Italian meatballs, cod fritters, and beyond.

A common pantry staple

This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table (5)

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Need a new facial exfoliator? Reach for some baking soda. Need to get rid of those grease stains in your oven? Hello again, baking soda! Need to fix bitter tomato sauce? You get the picture. Cook's Illustrated explains that this humble ingredient helps balance out tomato sauce's acidic pH levels. That's because baking soda has a pH level of nine, making it a base with a strong reaction to acidic products, per BakingHow.

Southern Living states that a pinch of baking soda should help to fix tart tomato sauce, but you can also add ¼ teaspoon to 1 cup of tomato sauce. Heat this up and add in a little extra baking soda if the sauce is still acidic,The Splendid Tablesays. Butter is also a great option for flavors that still taste off. Just mix 1 teaspoon or so into the sauce to make it rich, creamy, and even more flavorful.

So next time you come face to face with bitter tomato sauce, don't throw it out. Instead, just reach for some baking soda to neutralize those acidic tastes, which will restore the sauce's pH levels and make it taste as it should be: savory and tomatoey.

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This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

This Might Be The Easiest Fix For Bitter Tomato Sauce - Tasting Table? ›

Sprinkle in some baking soda

How to get rid of the bitter taste in tomato sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

How do you fix a sauce that is too bitter? ›

Balance out bitterness with some fat.

Try using a cream sauce, milk, fatty cheese, olive oil, or similar fatty ingredients to help cover bitter tastes.

How do you tone down tomato taste in sauce? ›

Add a pinch of sugar

Sugar is known to counterbalance acidity and can help in reducing the strong tomato taste in your sauce. Add a small pinch of sugar and give it a stir. Start with a little and adjust according to your preference. Remember, a little goes a long way!

What causes tomato sauce to be bitter? ›

Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.

What neutralizes bitter taste? ›

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.

How to make tomato sauce taste better? ›

Everything tastes better with some sautéed garlic and onions. Sauté finely chopped onions and garlic in olive oil until fragrant and golden, then add the sauce and let it simmer so the flavors can meld together.

How to get rid of bitterness? ›

Join a support group or see a counselor. Acknowledge your emotions about the harm done to you, recognize how those emotions affect your behavior, and work to release them. Choose to forgive the person who's offended you. Release the control and power that the offending person and situation have had in your life.

How do Italians remove acidity from tomato sauce? ›

When you make home-made tomato sauce with fresh or tinned tomatoes, it can sometimes turn out to be too acidic. Add a little milk to tomato sauce for a sweeter taste to offset the acidity of the tomatoes. This is a well-kept secret amongst Italian grandmothers.

Does vinegar counteract bitterness? ›

Like salt, acids such as vinegar or lemon juice compete with bitter flavor compounds, lessening our perception of these tastes as they “brighten” remaining ones.

How to get rid of tomato taste in stew? ›

add a little sugar to balance the acid in the tomato. Add a little lemon juice, vinegar or hot sauce and just go with a sour stew.

How can I make my tomatoes taste better? ›

Cream of tartar can do the job without masking the natural goodness. You can still enjoy the wonderful summer tomato flavor with cream of tartar. The best way to prepare your tomatoes is to dice them, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle about a teaspoon of cream of tartar.

Does adding baking soda to tomato sauce help acid reflux? ›

If you're looking to make your tomato sauce more GERD-friendly, here are a couple of tips: Use less of it in your cooking – opt for light-sauce foods. Add small pinches of baking soda to your tomato sauces, but be careful not to salt the food beforehand.

How to remove bitter taste from tomato sauce? ›

Add a pinch of sugar

Similar to the baking soda method, you can try adding a small pinch of sugar to your finished tomato sauce to help mellow out any unsavory or bitter notes. Natural Gourmet Institute suggests starting with just ¼ teaspoon of sugar at a time until the sauce reaches your desired acidic level.

Why does tomato sauce taste better the longer it cooks? ›

Tomato sauce has an inherent dilemma: Long-simmered sauces have complex flavor, but simmering over a long period of time cooks out the very thing that makes a ripe tomato so special—its bright, sweet taste.

Why doesn't my tomato sauce taste good? ›

Insufficient Seasoning: The most common reason for bland sauce is not adding enough seasoning. Spaghetti sauce typically requires a combination of herbs and spices such as garlic, onion, oregano, basil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Make sure you've added enough of these ingredients to give your sauce depth of flavor.

What to do if tomatoes are bitter? ›

Heat 1 cup of sauce with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (baking soda neutralizes acidity). Taste the sauce and add tiny amounts of baking soda to see if it mellows the acidity. If there is still an edge, swirl in a teaspoon of butter, letting it melt until creamy. Usually this does the job.

How do you remove can taste from tomato sauce? ›

A pinch of baking soda will alleviate the problem.

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