Kayelle
Chef Extraordinaire
GG, my only reason for not adding sugar to a pasta sauce is I simply don't like a sweet sauce, or tomato soup for that matter. I do use a pinch of baking soda however, if the canned tomatoes seem too acidic.
The canned tomatoes can be acidic. That's what people add the sugar for.
I add a can (3 oz.) of tomato paste to a 28 Oz.can of tomato. After sautéing the aromatics, I add the paste and sauté that too. This brings out the natural sweetness in the paste and helps to counteract the acidity of the tomato.
I only add it if it needs it towards the end of the cooking time. Taste, adjust seasoning - maybe it's too acidic, maybe it's too sweet, maybe it needs more salt or oregano (or whatever herbs I'm using). That depends on all the ingredients and the balance of flavors they already have, as well as the cooking techniques used, like Andy sautéing the tomato paste to bring out the natural sugar in it.I was under the impression the sugar was added because of the tomato paste?
I added a pinch in my gallon of marinara I made on Saturday.
I thought the sauce was quite sweet. Did not need the sugar at all.
I use two small cans of paste with about a pint (more if needed) of water along with the gallon can of crushed tomatoes.
Next time I will wait until its almost done before adding any sugar.
Its still a great sauce.
I add a can (3 oz.) of tomato paste to a 28 Oz.can of tomato. After sautéing the aromatics, I add the paste and sauté that too. This brings out the natural sweetness in the paste and helps to counteract the acidity of the tomato.
GG, my only reason for not adding sugar to a pasta sauce is I simply don't like a sweet sauce, or tomato soup for that matter. I do use a pinch of baking soda however, if the canned tomatoes seem too acidic.
That's a very cheffy move, Andy I learned that trick in culinary school.
Sorry but it did come across that way.
It's been well established that most of the added sugar (and extra sodium) people eat are from prepared and processed foods, not homemade foods. If you add a little sugar to your tomato sauce, you're still getting the benefits of the tomatoes and other ingredients in the sauce. It's not like eating a cupcake.
Thanks for the response. I'd like to hear from the others who said the same thing.
If you are making a plain tomato sauce adding a lump of butter at the last minute helps to cut or hide an acidic bite.
Adding a finely grated carrot to a longer cooking sauce can help to sweeten the sauce slightly.
IMO using a small amount of sugar as a seasoning gets a bad rap and is no different than adding a dash of salt.
No, I never seem to remember it. I do cook down the onions pretty good, which also releases their sugar.Do you use this trick? I do, in place of adding sugar.
The canned tomatoes can be acidic. That's what people add the sugar for.
I add a can (3 oz.) of tomato paste to a 28 Oz.can of tomato. After sautéing the aromatics, I add the paste and sauté that too. This brings out the natural sweetness in the paste and helps to counteract the acidity of the tomato.
This is an interesting conversation. Personally, I wouldn't pay $5.00 for a can of tomatoes but maybe that's just me. Then again, brands don't mean much to me and I don't own a Coach handbag either.