Help! Too much tomato purée

[belboid]

Add sugar or honey and reduce.
Also.. some lea abd perrins can help.

Henderson's, always Henderson's

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Ooh I've just remembered. I doubt you have it in but mushroom ketchup is good for this sort of thing. Umami innit.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

And while we're on the topic...is it just me or is Worcestershire sauce really sweet these days?

 

[Baronage-Phase]

Henderson's, always Henderson's

Cant get it here.

 

[Baronage-Phase]

And while we're on the topic...is it just me or is Worcestershire sauce really sweet these days?

Not that I recall?
Hmmm.
Now I'll have to check.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Not that I recall?
Hmmm.
Now I'll have to check.

The stuff I've bought lately seems sweeter to me and like some of the punch has been taken out of it. I suspect the salt nazis.

 

[keybored]

Ooh I've just remembered. I doubt you have it in but mushroom ketchup is good for this sort of thing. Umami innit.

I don't, I'd have used fish sauce but used the last of that a month ago and keep forgetting to buy a new bottle.

Verdict so far:
The sugar helped, a lot.
Then after adding the soy and Worcester sauces I feel I may have overdone the Worcester, even 2 tablespoons are detectable in 30 odd portions of bolognese sauce, but it still tastes a lot better than it did an hour ago so I'm happy. I'm gonna reduce it for another hour so it may change.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Yeah leave it alone now and accept it as it is after cooking for a bit longer.

 

[8ball]

Yeah leave it alone now and accept it as it is after cooking for a bit longer.

Give it an hour, then add some really hot chilli sauce and some miso paste.
Should balance it out nicely.

 

[keybored]

Give it an hour, then add some really hot chilli sauce and some miso paste.
Should balance it out nicely.

I'm thinking a cup of bleach to wash the acidity out.

 

[DaveCinzano]

Remind me to post a thread when next I need the conflicting advice of 78 other people to tell me how best to spoil my broth

 

[keybored]

Remind me to post a thread when next I need the conflicting advice of 78 other people to tell me how best to spoil my broth

I really want to know what the robots have to say about these things.

 

[trabuquera]

NOT SOY SAUCE for godssake.
Is it British-style bolognese, or proper Bolognese style ragu?

If the first - a bit of extra tomato isn't going to do any harm anyway, but a tiny touch of cinnamon and/or sugar might dial back the tomatoeyness a bit.

If it's proper bolognese then (prepare to be shocked) - a REALLY REALLY small addition of some full cream milk will mellow things out a bit without adding more salt or beef flavour, as lea & perrins or soy would. And if it's proper ragu then you already simmered the browned meat in a tiny bit of milk before adding tomatoes anyway. Bit of milk, simmer for another 10min, should have sorted it.

Were you using concentrated tomato puree? (if so, never do that again it's always too metallic and too full-on, use passata/"normal" intensity

 

[8ball]

I'm thinking a cup of bleach to wash the acidity out.

You're likely to get a side-reaction leading to the formation of hypochlorous acid, which will denature the proteins in your food....

I'm sure it will be fine.

 

[MrCurry]

Sounds like you’re already on track to give it a nice long cook keybored, but that was going to be my other tip, to let the meat fully render and bring that rich, deep flavour the mince will only offer up when it’s cooked into oblivion. I always give bolognese and chilli con carne sauces a 4 hour slow cook.

 

[passenger]

Brown sugar more garlic a bit of vegetable stock should do the job, just make sure
you reduce the extra water out.

 

[keybored]

Sounds like you’re already on track to give it a nice long cook keybored, but that was going to be my other tip, to let the meat fully render and bring that rich, deep flavour the mince will only offer up when it’s cooked into oblivion. I always give bolognese and chilli con carne sauces a 4 hour slow cook.

I normally only give it 90 mins to 2 hours but it will be longer this time. I do completely brown the mince beforehand, so all the liquid evaporates and the meat is going golden brown (rather than just beige), same for the streaky bacon I add in too.

 

[keybored]

Were you using concentrated tomato puree? (if so, never do that again it's always too metallic and too full-on, use passata/"normal" intensity

Yes, the stuff in the foil tubes.

 

[Looby]

Yeah-Why would you add sugar?

I’ve heard the sugar thing too.

ETA-should have read to the end where I would see that 675 people have confirmed this is a thing. [emoji1]

 

[FridgeMagnet]

For anyone reading this for general advice, sugar is good to tame tomato sauces BUT you only need a tiny amount. Much less than you think. It is very easy to add too much and then it just tastes bland, like something out of a jar. Always add a little first, mix thoroughly, simmer for a bit, taste, and if it's still unacceptable then repeat.

 

[DaveCinzano]

I really want to know what the robots have to say about these things.
View attachment 191280

NEEDS MORE OIL

 

[8ball]

It actually needs a homoeopathic amount of tomato purée, to counteract the tomato purée.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

Give it an hour, then add some really hot chilli sauce and some miso paste.
Should balance it out nicely.

Is that before or after the piss and marmalade?

 

[8ball]

Is that before or after the piss and marmalade?

At the same time as the bleach.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

This thread sounds like all the thoughts I have when making a tomato-based sauce, and I add soy sauce and sugar and vinegar to balance the sugar and more oil to balance the soy sauce and red wine and salt and pepper and water from the pasta and chilli sauce and mixed herbs and oregano and even more garlic than was already in it, and at 9pm I'm standing in front of the cooker unsteadily (having drunk the rest of the bottle of wine I didn't add) thinking "what the fuck have I made here". Then I put it in the fridge and eat it the next day with some bread.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

 

[Baronage-Phase]

I don't, I'd have used fish sauce but used the last of that a month ago and keep forgetting to buy a new bottle.

Verdict so far:
The sugar helped, a lot.
Then after adding the soy and Worcester sauces I feel I may have overdone the Worcester, even 2 tablespoons are detectable in 30 odd portions of bolognese sauce, but it still tastes a lot better than it did an hour ago so I'm happy. I'm gonna reduce it for another hour so it may change.

Oh yeah...a few dashes of worcestershire is usually enough.
It'll change as it reduces and u can add a little more sweetness if think it needs it.
Should be grand.

 

[Cid]

Is too much tomato puree really a big problem?

That.

You can "wash" it out like you would if you over-salt something. Add a pint of hot water, stir it around for a bit, then ladle it out. You'll be removing other flavourings too though so you may need to re-season the whole thing afterwards.

Yeah, also possible... Not ideal, but yeah.

Umami people, tomatoes are already umami heavy. It's not going to balance it out.

People complaining about sour tomatoes... I mean... I suppose people have different tastebuds, but you lot are definitely weird.

Tbh the best solution is probably to stick it in the fridge overnight, then eat it with some pasta. The flavours will have balanced somewhat, and eating it as intended rather than just tasting the pure sauce will reduce the emphasis on the tomatoes.

 

[Athos]

Don't believe this nonsense about there being something that can neutralise the taste of tomato. The only way it'll taste as you intended is by maintaining the ratios of the recipe. Take out half and set aside. Double up the ingredients for what's left, cook then freeze. Then repeat with the half you'd put aside earlier.

 

[Mrs Miggins]

I still think you should separate a small portion and put some coffee in it. Just to tell us how it turns out.