Why do I add baking soda to tomato sauce? A few years ago, a friend who knows I love “Tips and Tricks” gave me this one. It started as a conversation about heartburn. I told her that it seemed to be an issue for me after eating tomato sauce. She mentioned that maybe adding a bit of baking soda during the cooking process might help because it cuts down on the acidity (Not medical advice, just a friendly tip!)
Against my better judgement, I decided to give this tip a try. After spending a whole Sunday making meatballs and sauce, I didn’t want to ruin it. In hindsight, I could have made a small pot of Marinara Sauce and not risked a whole day of work. But adding baking soda to tomato sauce worked out, so all is well.
I have been told about 1/4 tsp. of baking soda per cup of sauce. I do it in small stages until the sauce is the desired taste. You can always add more, but you cannot take it back once it is done. Some say this takes the place of a bit of sugar in your sauce. However, when it comes to Sunday Gravy, I still add a bit of sugar. With Marinara Sauce, I might leave the sugar out.
If Cauliflower can somehow become pizza…. You, my friend, can do anything.
-Unknown
The tip is to not add too much and to not be afraid of the foaming process. Gently mix the sauce until the foaming stops. This can take a few minutes and make sure to incorporate all the sauce or you will have foaming later. I was very nervous. It is kind of like being back in high school chemistry class and a bit fun.
I was asked what canned tomatoes do I use. I use Pastene No Salt Added Ground Peeled Tomatoes and I love them. If I happen to use another brand of tomatoes, I still use the baking soda trick and it works every time. This is not an issue that the sauce tastes bad without the baking soda, it is just better with it… in a subtle way. Also, I do think it helps with heartburn, but who knows. (No medical advice here, just an observation)
I will never leave this step out again. It mellows the sauce and does cut down on the acidity. I love these little tips and tricks. Please share if you have any to add. I would love to try them out and will give you full credit.
If you are interested in more foodie content, please check out the Recipes page of my blog Sunday Chefs for more tried and true family recipes and restaurant reviews.