Making tomato sauce NOT so sweet

[feldon30]

I'm growing 2 plants this year. I'd tried it out of a friend's garden and was duly impressed.

[applestar]

Here's a taste review on Wes from last year: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 11#p310811

...and a photo of my biggest Wes: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 13#p309613

[feldon30]

Here's a taste review on Wes from last year: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 11#p310811

...and a photo of my biggest Wes: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 13#p309613

Goodness that Wes looks amazing. Also I've never serious considered growing Soldacki but I have an extra plant (I started some seeds for a friend). Maybe I should squeeze one in.

[applestar]

Do!

I hope people add to that tomato tasting thread this season. I realize soil and climate could significantly affect the flavors, and same variety may taste differently from year to year, but I enjoyed comparing and rating the relative flavor ratings. I'm definitely going to continue trying to compare different varieties.

[Gardener123]

I have yet to find anybody who has had success growing Mister Stripey.

[Gardener123]

Felton,

I grew Cherokee Purple last year in Philly..... They were awesome. I ate them raw...... No big deal, you say? Well I don't like raw tomato. I can eat a slice on a hoagie or something like that, but I can't just eat raw tomatoes.... They need to be part of a bigger picture. But I was eating the CP last summer with just salt and pepper. And pretty good harvest, but I have had better. If they get even better in the south, WOW!

[Rairdog]

I found a local lady selling organic heirlooms. Picked up a Martino Roma(less BER supposedly), Pineapple and Chefs Choice which is a hybrid after I looked it up. The best part was she gave me a LIME basil plant. Thanks for all the input.

[gixxerific]

How about adding peppers? Even a small amount would change the direction of the flavor.

[Gary350]

Slice the tomatoes put them skin and all in the kitchen blender and blend them until the skins have turned to liquid too. The skins will double the tomato flavor and reduce the sweetness. If you want to reduce sweetness more add Roma tomatoes skins and all too.

[Lindsaylew82]

Yeah that could certainly be it. Also, darker colored tomatoes don't fully develop their pronounced flavor in more northern climates. I hope CP tastes as good here as it did in Houston

I never tried it in Huston, but an hour down the road from you, it's a keeper! We have more CP growing than anything else! Yummeh to muh tummeh!

[Gary350]

I grow beefsteak and all the beefsteak varieties, big beef, beef master, Super star, etc. we love them for everything, salads, soups, stews, chili, juice, sauce, puree, sauce, catsup, etc. I plant 5 different beefsteak varieties then mix them all together when cooking them for canning in mason jars. Only the low acid tomatoes need acid added for canning. I have tried mixing other tomatoes with beefsteak with very disappointing results it changes the whole flavor if the beefsteak tomato. Celebrity tomatoes have about as much flavor as cardboard you can add them to beefsteak like filler. Roma tomatoes make beefsteak taste like spaghetti sauce without the herbs. Tiny 1" salad tomatoes do good with beefsteak but it is a lot of work to pick 1000s of tiny tomatoes to add to a 10 gallon pot of beefsteak tomatoes. The best choice for use is 5 different varieties of beefsteak some are less sweet but you still get that good beefsteak flavor. I bring whole sliced tomatoes to a boil then let them cool 30 minute then puree, tomatoes, skins, and seeds in the kitchen blender. Then boil again and hot pack in 100 pint mason jars. No salt, no herbs, no acid added. Then I boil the hot pack tomatoes 15 minutes then let them cool naturally for about 6 hours. Mark them with dates and put them in the pantry. I try not to let them get more than 3 years old in the pantry. I have been hot water bath canning tomatoes 55 years, if jars and seals are good none will go bad.

[imafan26]

Sauce tomatoes should be meaty and not juicy for the best sauce and they usually are not sweet. It looks like the tomatoes you are using are sweet to start with and that may be why your sauce is sweeter than you like. Vinegar and lemon have distinct flavors. Try citric acid instead. It is mostly just plain tart and often used to raise the acidity of low acid fruits for safe canning.

https://www.healthycanning.com/citric-ac ... e-canning/