How to reduce vinegar taste in tomato sauce?

In this article, we will answer the question “How to reduce vinegar taste in tomato sauce?”, and how to make Don Giovanni’s tomato sauce?

Read on if you want to know how to freeze leftover tomato sauce. 

How to reduce vinegar taste in tomato sauce?

Add sweetness

If you are dealing with a cold dressing or salad, mix in a pinch or two of powdered sugar to see if it mellows the bitterness of the excess vinegar. To fix a soup or sauce, mix in ½ tsp of caramelized sugar at a time. Alternatively, you can use honey to fix overly acidic cold dishes like sauces, dips, dressings, or salads.

Add more fat 

Fat coats the mouth palate and reduces the perception of the sourness of your dish. Moreover, the acid dissolves more readily into fat than in water. 

Fat is also a very well-known flavor carrier. It retains and absorbs the sour flavor of the excess vinegar. This mellows the sourness and makes it difficult for your olfactory system to perceive it. 

If you are dealing with an overly acidic soup, drizzle some olive oil on top of it before serving. To fix the extra vinegar taste of the purees and soups, stir in a few tablespoons of butter, yogurt, or cream once the dish is ready. 

A pinch of a base

Ion exchange takes place when an acid and a base react during a chemical reaction. Baking soda acts as a base while vinegar is a diluted acid. 

When baking soda is mixed with vinegar, the vinegar or acid releases a proton, forming carbon dioxide and water. This is how the baking soda neutralizes the vinegar. 

To avoid a soapy or bitter taste, start by adding only a pinch of baking soda to your vinegary dish. Taste check the fish after each addition of the baking soda. Add more if necessary.

The hail mary

If none of the above-mentioned hacks work for your overly sour dish, you can resort to the dilution technique.

Make a whole other batch of tomato sauce with only a small amount of vinegar or none at all.  Then mix this batch with the severely sour batch in increments until the desired mild vinegary taste is achieved. 

How to make Don Giovanni’s Tomato Sauce?

Ingredients

  • 5 large cloves garlic, thin sliced
  • 12 large fresh basil leaves, torn
  • ¼ medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • ⅛ tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
  • A pinch of hot red pepper flakes
  • 5 tbsp fruity extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3-½ pounds mixed ripe delicious tomatoes, cored but not peeled or seeded or 2 28-ounce cans of whole tomatoes, drained

Instructions 

  1. In a 4-quart saucepan, heat garlic, basil, onion, salt, pepper, and oil over medium flame for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and smash them with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  1. Close the lid and let the tomatoes cook for about 30 minutes or until thick. Stir the sauce frequently to prevent it from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. 
  1. After 30 minutes, when the sauce looks thick and reduced by half in volume, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.
  1. When the sauce has cooled down, strain it through a sieve to remove the seeds and skin residues. Skip this step if you like chunky tomato sauce.

Can you freeze tomato sauce to extend its shelf-life?

First of all, divide the tomato sauce into portions. This way you can thaw just the right amount of tomato sauce at a time. Each portion should not exceed the limit of 1 or ½ cups. You can use freezer bags, air-tight containers, or mason jars for storing your tomato sauce.

Whatever storage medium you choose, make sure the tomato sauce is tightly sealed. If you opt for a glass jar or air-tight container, make sure to leave 1-2 inches of headspace. This is because the liquid expands during freezing. 

The glass may crack or even shatter if there is not sufficient space for the tomato sauce to expand. When using a freezer bag, squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag.

Last but not the least, put a clear label on the storage container. This will allow you to identify the frozen product and keep a track of its shelf-life. 

Other FAQs about Tomato Sauce that you may be interested in.

What Can I use instead of tomato sauce on pizza 

Can dogs eat tomato sauce?

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “How to reduce vinegar taste in tomato sauce?”, and how to make Don Giovanni’s tomato sauce?

References

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-neutralize-vinegar-in-food/
https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2013/12/26/use-baking-soda-or-butter-to-improve-bitter-tomato-sauce
https://www.livestrong.com/article/514833-the-best-way-to-freeze-pasta-sauce/
https://www.livestrong.com/article/530142-how-to-counteract-bitter-vinegar-flavor/

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!