How to make a great sauce with store bought tomatoes

[Jackie Tran]

Chau, petef. and anyone else that is interested,

If you want me to go along on your experiments with tomato sauces let me know.  I do have a pH meter.  I would be glad to help.

Norma

That would be great Norma.  I'm now interested in knowing the pH levels of different members sauces.   I would recommend taking 2 readings and possibly 3.   Pre-spicing, post spicing, and post refrigeration.  I mention refrigeration as my sauces always seem to taste more acidic after sitting in the fridge for several days. 

Chau

[norma427]

That would be great Norma.  I'm now interested in knowing the pH levels of different members sauces.   I would recommend taking 2 readings and possibly 3.   Pre-spicing, post spicing, and post refrigeration.  I mention refrigeration as my sauces always seem to taste more acidic after sitting in the fridge for several days. 

Chau

Chau,

I will start taking pH readings on Monday and will follow your recommendations for three readings.

Norma

[petef]

One question though, would the pH actually change if I don't use vinegar and just sweetened the sauce with just stevia or sugar?

I don't know, but if we come up with a series of questions htat we can't answer ourselves, I can ask my brother-in-law, who is a chemist.

---pete---

[petef]

In case this helps you mad scientist types, the pH of sugar is considered to be neutral (7) so one would think it would not affect the pH level.  A hydrometer (aka sugar density meter or syrup desity meter in cooking applications) can measure sugar levels in liquids and is standard equipment for home brewers and wine makers, candy and pastry chefs, and inexpensive. 

PizzaHog, THANK YOU! You just answered another big question I had in regards to measuring the SWEETNESS of a pizza sauce recipe. If we can accurately measure both the PH and SUGAR DENSITY, we may be able to develop a new way to communicate and duplicate the taste of our pizza sauces. This should prove to be very interesting. Thanks again!

---pete---

[Jackie Tran]

Or we can just freeze samples of our sauces and overnight them to one another.

[chickenparm]

Hey Chau,

I made some sauce yesterday for the first time,using your post.

Because of the weather,I still have not gotten my fresh tomatoes from the Amish folks yet,but hope to soon.
I bought some Plum Tomatoes(from mexico the signs said) while at the food store the other day and tried this experiment.

After I steamed,removed the skins and blended the tomatoes with my hand mixer somewhat,I added a little fresh garlic and some oregano.I did NOT add any paste yet or puree/sauce.I wanted to see how these might taste after they cooled off a little more.

Is it normal for the tomatoes to not have much taste this way?Hence the need to add the sauce or the paste into it some?It was very bland.I did not drain the water and it was a bit bitter in some ways.
I'm just making sure I know what its supposed to be like before adding the rest of the mix together.

See,for a while,I will buy a can of 28oz puree,and a can of whole peeled tomatoes.
I will make a sauce with the Puree using my usual spices,and crush the whole peeled canned tomatoes by hand,then dump the crushed tomatoes into the puree,giving a tomato bite back into the sauce.It works pretty good at times.Im still hit and miss.

Am I sort of doing that with your recipe,only I'm using the fresh stuff,not the canned?

Anyways,I put the mixed up tomatoes in the bowl from last night,back into the fridge,and need to pick up some paste or sauce/puree in a can.I ran out so I didn't finish my sauce experiment from last night.

 

[Tscarborough]

A lot of fresh tomatoes (OK, most) are ripened with gas in a warehouse.  They have little to no flavor, so it is important to get vine ripened.

[chickenparm]

A lot of fresh tomatoes (OK, most) are ripened with gas in a warehouse.  They have little to no flavor, so it is important to get vine ripened.

Thanks alot,I did not know this.I cannot even recall if these were vine ripened or not,but I doubt it.
That must be why the Amish tomatoes at the farmers market are the best tasting to buy locally so far.
 

[TXCraig1]

A lot of fresh tomatoes (OK, most) are ripened with gas in a warehouse.  They have little to no flavor, so it is important to get vine ripened.

And (unless you have a banana tree) every banana you've ever eaten in the mainland US...

It's ethylene gas. It acts as a hormone in plants stimulating the ripening of fruit (among other things). I don't know of any health concerns associated with this process. Plants release the gas naturally. This is just speeding along the process. Notwithstanding, like Tom noted, it is no substitute for time when it comes to developing flavor and sweetness.

CL

[chickenparm]

And (unless you have a banana tree) every banana you've ever eaten in the mainland US...

It's ethylene gas. It acts as a hormone in plants stimulating the ripening of fruit (among other things). I don't know of any health concerns associated with this process. Plants release the gas naturally. This is just speeding along the process. Notwithstanding, like Tom noted, it is no substitute for time when it comes to developing flavor and sweetness.

CL

Thanks,its good to learn something new about all that as well.If I ever learned about it years ago,I did not register it in memory,so its new to me now.I also tossed the tomato sauce out I made,its just did not have any flavor to begin with,and will get some better tomatoes(vine ripened) tomorrow.