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Jim Cooley
Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Posts: 377 Location: Seattle
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Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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I'll probably be banned for saying this, but when a tomato-based pasta sauce seems too acidic for my taste, I just add some baking soda.... |
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Cornelius
Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 16 Location: Everett, WA
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:48 am Post subject: |
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It's important to note that adding sugar doesn't make the acidity go away, it merely masks it. So, those who are susceptible to heartburn and so on will still get it, no matter how much sugar you add, if your sauce is acidic to begin with.
I find that if I start my sauce by sweating a miripoix, the carrots have plenty of sweetness in them, and, as I can't seem to cook without garlic, I add that to the mirepoix as well, and as most people know, garlic can become quite sweet, too.
Add a little fresh basil to sauce made this way, and you can end up with a red sauce that is every bit as sweet as the canned stuff, if you aren't careful, and without ever adding sugar.
I have found that most of the people who advocate adding sugar to red sauce also tend to leave it simmering on the back burner for hours. They claim this develops flavor, and I suppose this may be true, but it also evaporates the water and leaves the acid behind, thereby concentrating the acidity.
Years ago I regularly went to a little Italian lunch place, where the chef would come out and converse with his customers once everyone was served. On this particular day, I had come in with heartburn, but ordered his meatball sub anyway, as it was the special of the day, and I knew from experience that it was SO good.
A strange thing occurred, though. I noticed that as I ate, my heartburn actually went away, which was exactly the opposite of what I expected. So, when he came out and spoke to me, I asked him about it. He told me that he made the sauce for every dish to order. He would cook the meatballs in a pan, and then make the sauce in the same pan, using the fond left from the meatballs. Therefore the sauce perfectly complimented the meatballs, (or whatever dish he was making) had plenty of flavor, and he never had to add sugar to mask the acidity of a sauce that had been simmering on the back burner for hours.
Needless to say, it was a VERY good little lunch place. And, it forever changed the way I make tomato sauce.
Oh, and for those of you who don't like shreds of carrots in your sauce, I don't either. If you sweat them properly, they will pretty much dissolve in the sauce, but, just to make sure, I usually apply a boat-motor to the sauce before I serve. |
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Cornelius
Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 16 Location: Everett, WA
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 5:52 am Post subject: |
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Jim Cooley wrote: | I'll probably be banned for saying this, but when a tomato-based pasta sauce seems too acidic for my taste, I just add some baking soda.... |
Actually, that's not a bad idea. You could also counter it with the alkalinity of chiles. |
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IDontUse Guest
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 7:33 am Post subject: |
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I don't think anyone mentioned that tomatoes lose acidity as you cook them longer. Just like a french onion soup, it won't taste right until it just hits that mark. |
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Tuscan Chef
Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 8 Location: Tuscany
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Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:27 am Post subject: sugar |
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How come no one uses sugar in Italy for a tomatom sauce?
We do tomato sauce and add no sugar to it.
There might be an explanation on the level of maturity of tomato?
Are US tomatoes harvested earlier?
There is usually NO PORC on a tomato sauce. If you add pork ot meat you get other sauces. |
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Walter Guest
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:24 am Post subject: sugar in tomato sauce, sure, and even milk |
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I am Italian, from Northern Italy. My grandmother regularly added a pinch of sugar to tomato sauce or alternatively (I prefer that) a splash of milk, right at the end of the cooking process. I do it too, and I notice that it cuts the acidity and IMHO enhances the sauce flavor.
Somebody from Naples probably would abhor this practice. |
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Guest
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 1:36 am Post subject: |
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I think it's common missconception that adding sugar to any tomato based sauce (something I nearly always do) is to counter the acidity of the tomatoes. It merely enhances the flavour of the tomatoes. I have heard chefs I have worked with refer to this as a "gastric", that is adding an acidic flavour (lemon juice, vinegar) with sugar to bring out more taste in the tomatoes. You will see it on the ingredients label in many pre-prepared sauces. Balsamic vinegar is good as it combines sweet and acidic. |
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Gwiz Guest
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Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 1:59 pm Post subject: sweet tomato sauce |
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I have a friend visiting the Ukraine and can't find a tomato sauce product that doesn't taste like ketchup. How can she tone down the sweet taste of their sauces? |
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Dilbert
Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 1304 Location: central PA
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Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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Gwiz -
perhaps a little clarification needed... there's tomato paste (thick, spoon it out type stuff,) tomato sauce (pourable) and then a few zillion tomato based pasta sauces (Ragu, etc.)
for the prepared tomato based pasta sauces, check the label - most contain sugar. if you have a natural foods aisle, check there for pasta sauces without added salt / sugar. otherwise, one could buy sugar/salt free canned diced tomatoes, reduce & puree it into a tomato sauce.
the labels on my Giant brand tomato paste and tomato sauce do not list added sugar (there is some naturally occurring sugar in tomatoes... so under the nutritional info you will find sugar listed.) |
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Cornelius
Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Posts: 16 Location: Everett, WA
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Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 10:34 am Post subject: Re: sugar |
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Tuscan Chef wrote: | How come no one uses sugar in Italy for a tomatom sauce?
We do tomato sauce and add no sugar to it.
There might be an explanation on the level of maturity of tomato?
Are US tomatoes harvested earlier?
There is usually NO PORC on a tomato sauce. If you add pork ot meat you get other sauces. |
I know this is bumping an old thread, but...
Come on, folks, there are regional differences everywhere you go, and not only that, not everyone in the same region or even the same neighborhood makes things exactly the same way. I get so tired of reading posts that basically say "I happen to live in country X, and no one in the entire country does that."
So there are recipe police who go around and make sure everyone in the entire country makes everything exactly the same way with exactly the same ingredients? Give me a break! So, instead of saying "No one makes that like my mom," I guess it should be "No one makes that like my mom... well, except for my entire country..." |
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DrBiggles
Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 356 Location: Richmond, CA
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Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:22 pm Post subject: Re: sugar |
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Cornelius wrote: | Tuscan Chef wrote: | How come no one uses sugar in Italy for a tomatom sauce?
We do tomato sauce and add no sugar to it.
There might be an explanation on the level of maturity of tomato?
Are US tomatoes harvested earlier?
There is usually NO PORC on a tomato sauce. If you add pork ot meat you get other sauces. |
I know this is bumping an old thread, but...
Come on, folks, there are regional differences everywhere you go, and not only that, not everyone in the same region or even the same neighborhood makes things exactly the same way. I get so tired of reading posts that basically say "I happen to live in country X, and no one in the entire country does that."
So there are recipe police who go around and make sure everyone in the entire country makes everything exactly the same way with exactly the same ingredients? Give me a break! So, instead of saying "No one makes that like my mom," I guess it should be "No one makes that like my mom... well, except for my entire country..." |
Amen brother! Testify!
xo, Biggles |
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deminmartin9
Joined: 31 Mar 2011 Posts: 6
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Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 5:59 am Post subject: Cooking Tips |
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I love Tomato sous is very much. its nice breakfast and healty also.
-----------------------
Demin Martin |
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FastWin23
Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Posts: 1
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Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, I never know that tomato sauce could be at best f you put sugar unto it. Now, I know..I will definitely try this one. |
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kitchen boy
Joined: 20 Mar 2011 Posts: 7
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Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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This is weird for me because I really think that tomato sauce already sweet but when reading at this forum, I know that the reason add sugar into the sauce |
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ravioli Guest
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Posted: Sun May 29, 2011 4:12 am Post subject: sugar in tomato sauce |
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The common error in thinking regarding the addition of sugar to tomato sauce is that it will reduce acidity (sourness).
It will not; sugar is not opposite to acid, to sour, it is opposite to bitter.
Base is opposite to acid, so to reduce acidity, you must add a base. The household base is baking soda.
Try an experiment; add some sugar (the alleged anti-acid to) to vinegar (acetic acid), and observe that there is no apparent reaction.
Next, add some baking soda to vinegar and observe the lively ebullition of carbon dioxide, a product of acid-base reaction.
The Chinese understand that sweet does not oppose sour, that they coexist. Reflect upon all the "sweet and sour dishes" on the menu.
The brewmaster understands that sweet opposes bitter, and will add hops (bitter) to the boil to balance the sweetness of residual sugars which persist in the final beer.
The addition of sugar to tomato sauce is a chemically ignorant act, often by those whose tastes have been disabled by the consumption of excess sugar.[/code] |
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