Can I convert a sweet-tasting sauce to a salty sauce?

[cooking_guy]

hello,

i just amde a sauce using whey as the stock. i think the whey has imparted a sweet taste to the sauce. (is that usually the case).

is there any ingredient which i can add which can neutralise the sweet taste ?

the ingredients used to create the sauce are
reduced whey
mushroom soup
mushrooms diced
bit of garlic
black pepper
salt

and lots of heating and bubbling

[Bilby]

Why not try the Thai principle, salty, sweet, sour and hot. You have the sweet and probably the salt, so add some acid and some spice. But becareful with the acid that you don't wreck the dish entirely with all the creaminess. Maybe a bit of fish sauce and some fresh chillis? Add some soaked shiitake mushrooms as well for a more earthy flavour. Up the range of mushrooms with some other types like straw mushrooms.

Good luck!

[cooking_guy]

thanks for the reply,

what sort of acid do you recommend i use? dies the acid result in the creaminess?
fresh chillies, sounds like a good idea :), i guess a range of mushrooms would give it more flavour. an explosion of flavours :)

[GotGarlic]

Depending on what you want to use the sauce for, an acid could be lemon juice or vinegar. Acid counters creaminess - it will add a new type of flavor to the dish. HTH.

[Hoot]

Perhaps some preserved lemon could help balance the sweetness.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by cooking_guy

hello,

i just amde a sauce using whey as the stock. i think the whey has imparted a sweet taste to the sauce. (is that usually the case).

is there any ingredient which i can add which can neutralise the sweet taste ?

the ingredients used to create the sauce are
reduced whey
mushroom soup
mushrooms diced
bit of garlic
black pepper
salt

and lots of heating and bubbling

To answer your original question, yes, whey would impart a natural sweetness. It's from milk, which has sweet undertones, and a fair amount of natural sugar as components of it.

[auntdot]

CG, as June said, it is the milk.

It is always tough to get rid of too much of a basic flavor. I know of nothing to take out sweet, as I know of nothing to take out salt. Sour can be neutralized, but it always seems to alter the taste of the dish. And as for hot, well, fat helps, such as cream or milk, but again it alters the dish.

One guideline is to taste before you add.

And if you have a new ingredient, such as reduced whey, try it. And then plan your recipe. To go with Bilby's post, you might think about a Thai dish.

Don't always know what I add to a dish will exactly do to it, but I have a rough idea just from experience.

If I am not certain may try a bit on the side, if possible. It is best to make a foul tasting dollop than a nasty tasting dish.

But sorry, no answer to how to make the dish less than sweet.

[BBQ Mikey]

Personally, I'd try to neutralize the sweet with something with a water base like chicken stock. Not only will it help balance the dish, but it will add more depth of flavor. A veggie stock will also work here.
Thats my 2 cents, good luck!

[cooking_guy]

thanks for the replies,

i made some prawn toast and gave my guests some of the sauce, they liked it.

it has been 3 days since i made the sauce, so i think i will need to throw it away since it has probably gone bad. next time i will try veggie stock, (oxo does cubes, maybe i can try them :))