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My neighbor swore by adding sugar to spaghetti sauce to cut acidity. I thought she was nuts.
Tried it last week with a 99 cent can of crushed tomatoes and a pinch of sugar, and the sauce came out way smoother than my usual vinegar fix. Has anyone else had luck with weird pantry tricks that sound wrong but actually work?
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vera3081mo ago
Oh man, I used to think my grandma was crazy for putting a pinch of sugar in her spaghetti sauce. I called her out on it once and she just laughed and said "you'll understand when you're older." Well, here I am at 52 adding sugar to sauce like it's my job. My secret shame is that I also do it with canned tomatoes for chili, and it works way better than the whole "add a carrot" trick people swear by. I guess I'm just a sweet tooth in denial.
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finleyw991mo ago
Right there with you on the sugar thing. That "add a carrot" trick people recommend is overrated and takes too long. I started doing this years ago after reading some old cookbook that basically said any acidic tomato base needs a tiny pinch of sugar to balance the pH. The trick is to use less than you think you need, like a half teaspoon per can, otherwise it starts tasting like candy. Works for pizza sauce too, and I've found it cuts the bitterness you get from cheaper canned tomatoes way better than any vinegar or baking soda hack.
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