Why add sugar to tomato sauce?

chithanh119 · #1 (**permalink**) August 5th, 2009, 10:21 AM

My Italian grandmothers never added sugar to their tomato sauces. I have a friend who insists that anyone with culinary integrity knows that you add sugar in order to cut the acid. I don't find well-prepared tomato sauces to have an acidic taste.

What exactly does "cut the acid" mean? And does sugar actually do that?

lvdkeyes · #2 (**permalink**) August 5th, 2009, 12:35 PM

Yes, the sugar does balance the acidity of tomatoes. You don't need much, maybe a teaspoon or so. A lot depends on the tomatoes you use. If using canned tomatoes there may already be some sugar added.

Kitchen Witch · #3 (**permalink**) August 5th, 2009, 04:40 PM

It all depends on the acidity of the tomatoes - different varieties have different acidic levels.

There are four factors that contribute to the natural acidity of a tomato sauce: the juice, the peel, the seeds, and overcooking.

Many of the old-timers felt that by cooking their sauce for hours and hours they would lower the acid in the sauce. Many suffer from tummy woes from the acidity after eating the sauce and they felt that if they cooked it for hours on end it would help.

Tomato sauce does not have to be cooked for hours - tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato puree - all are cooked products.

To counteract the acid, cooks started added sugar or a sugar puree to the sauce. This can fool the tongue - but not the stomach.

Also - the longer cooking process will also thicken the sauce - allowing the liquid to cook away. Start with a less watery base and you won't have to cook it so long.

And overcooking the sauce will only increase the acid and make it stronger (longer cooking reduces the sauce - not the acidity.)

Sugar can also be added to ENHANCE the natural sweetness of tomatoes. Just a little bit - that is all that is needed.

Kitchen Witch · #4 (**permalink**) August 5th, 2009, 05:39 PM

There are some varieties that are slightly less acidic than others, but this difference is so slight that there is no real difference in taste or in how the tomatoes should be processed. Some yellow-fruited types are slightly less acidic than the normal red varieties, but not enough to make any difference.