Making tomato sauce

[curly_kate]

I made & canned tomato sauce last week, using my cast iron dutch oven. When we ate it, it seemed to be extra acidic, and my husband commented that it gave him really bad heartburn (he of the cast iron stomach). Should you not cook tomatoes in an iron pot because of the acidity?

 

[blurose]

I've always been told not to cook anything with tomato in a cast iron pot, so I never have done.

 

[RedClayGardener]

You are never supposed to store tomatoes in cast iron, but I don't think it would raise the acidity of the sauce so much as the taste. I could be totally wrong though. I cook tomatoes in cast iron occasionally with no different results, but I always take whatever I am cooking out right after it is finished. Maybe because spaghetti sauce takes so long to cook the pan affected it?

 

[Rosalind]

No, don't use cast iron with tomatoes--the acid will wear off the seasoning.

Add a couple teaspoons of sugar to the tomato sauce to cut the acid. Some people just add more grated carrot or some other sweet veggie, I prefer the sugar because I think it has a cleaner, more tomato-y taste. Up to you, really.

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks for the tips! Guess I need to re-season the pot.

 

[Grow 4 Food]

The cast iron is very pourous so the acidic tomato soaks into and actually "dissolves" the pot a little. it is the same concept as to why you never cover anything with tomatoes with aluminum foil. It tastes like metal because there is metal deposits in it.

Remember before you reseason it you need to "un" season it. Let it soak really good with really hot degreasing dish soap in it for a good amount of time. If it rusts a little that is a good thing. Then start back from scratch in you seasoning process.

 

[curly_kate]

Good to know! Thanks! :happy_flower

 

[DDRanch]

I have also found that a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste in the sauce will cut down on the acidity. I add to my roasted sauce.

Anne