Bitter tomato sauce??

[lesa]

I encouraged a friend to start canning. She was very excited and canned about 20 jars from her garden. She opened the first the other day, and was very disappointed that it tasted bitter... I asked her how the tomatoes tasted right out of the garden...She laughed and said she was so excited about canning, she hadn't eaten one of them!!! Other than adding sugar to her sauce, I didn't have any suggestions. Thought I would pose the question to you canning experts and get your opinions. Thanks!

 

[bid]

What a shame. Sugar might help with that bitterness for sure. A little at a time- add, mix, taste? I think a pinch or two of baking soda instead of sugar will also help, but I can always taste baking soda when I use it in anything, might make it worse.

Did she add anything to it when she was canning it? herbs, salt, garlic? and how long did she cook it? Sure would help if she had tasted a tomatoe or two out of the garden because that may be the problem if the tomatoes were bitter.

 

[lesa]

Isn't that funny? There may be no problem to solve if the tomatoes themselves were bitter! She added 2 TBS of lemon juice to each quart- no spices or anything. I think she kept in the seeds- would that matter? Seems like she cooked it plenty and another hour to make the dinner...

 

[ninnymary]

Can tomatoes from the vine be bitter? I never heard of such a thing. I've had some that were mealy, tasteless, but never bitter.:/

Mary

 

[bid]

Well I think what we are talking about is the amount of acidity...thats why we add sugar to tomatoe sauces when preparing...oh say spaghetti sauce. You simmer it, take a taste and WOW, that's got a little bite to it. I grab the sugar dish and give a little sweetner to take that bite out. Could be the tomatoes were really acidic and the addition of the lemon juice raised it even more.

Depending on a lot of different factors tomatoes can be "bitter"/acidic off the vine. I wouldn't think all of them would be, but it's possible. Some varieties are naturally more acidic than others. Growing conditions and ripeness when you pick them can have an effect also. Then too, taste is very subjective.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's possible she is tasting the lemon juice. Taste is very subjective.

I would not expect the seeds to make it bitter. Is it possible she did not look and clean the tomatoes? I freeze some tomatoes whole and dump them in without coring them, but if they are suspicious at all I cut them open, core them, and cut out any damaged part. Not just insect or bird damage but splits and black parts as well.

I can't imagine any tomato that has been allowed to ripe being bitter, whether it ripened on the vine or on my table in the garage where I store them if they are not real ripe when I pick them. There has to be something else going on.

 

[damummis]

Some times if there is not adequate water thru the growing season then tomatoes can be bitter.

When I am cooking my sauce after canning I always throw a whole unpeeled carrot in. It absorbs the extra acid. It also reduces heartburn. Also I never met a tomato sauce that didn't like a little sugar.