How to Increase the Acidity of Tomato Sauce

Increase acidity for a tangier tomato sauce.

Tomato juice, peels and seeds are naturally acidic. Some consumers prefer sweet sauces, or experience upset stomach after eating acidic products. For this reason, many commercial tomato sauces contain ingredients such as sugar or grated cheese meant to neutralize or mask acid while enhancing the sauce's flavor. If you prefer a tangy, acidic sauce, there are several ways to alter a homemade or store-bought tomato sauce recipe.

Things You'll Need

• Red tomatoes
• Balsamic or apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Add more red tomatoes to the sauce. Dice fresh tomatoes or used canned versions with no added ingredients. Add the equivalent of one tomato at a time and keep tasting until the sauce is acidic enough for your liking.

2. Add balsamic vinegar to the sauce. Balsamic vinegar is acidic and nicely complements basil and tomatoes. If balsamic vinegar is too sweet for your taste, add apple cider vinegar instead. Stir in 1 tsp. at a time and taste the sauce afterward until it achieves the desired flavor.

3. Leave sugar and cheese out of a homemade recipe, or add only a pinch at a time to enhance the flavor without masking or neutralizing the acidic taste.

4. Add more cooking time to the recipe. Reducing a sauce reduces liquid and concentrates acidic flavors. Add 10 more minutes to the original time and sample the sauce. Keep adding time in 10 minute increments and sample until the sauce is acidic enough.

References

• The Epicurean Table: Tomato Puree and Sauce -- Too Acidic For You?
• Tinfoil Chef; Reducing the Acid in Tomato Sauce; June 2008