Bolognese too sweet - any better recipes out there?

[Goonergal]

Hi

Since starting low carb, my taste buds have really changed and lots of foods are now tasting much sweeter. A case in point is my bolognese sauce, made with mince, tinned tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs. I eat it with spiralized courgette but it is really too sweet.

Any alternative recipes? Cannot include mushrooms or celery as I am allergic to both.

Thanks!

 

[Resurgam]

Fresh tomatoes might help as they are sharper tasting - I add sweet pickle, just a tablespoonful, and vinegar to mine - usually wine vinegar, and the amount varies as I taste it..
If you fry the onion first you could try putting it in a blender and adding it later, as the frying alters the taste. Also, don't add salt as that can reduce bitterness.
Taste is a real science - I used to work for Lyons Tetley as a storage tester. Since taking Metformin I have had to add a tiny amount of salt to each cup of coffee as I suddenly found our percolated coffee too bitter. I thought it might go back to normal when I stopped taking it, but it seems to be hanging on.

 

[GrantGam]

Hi

Since starting low carb, my taste buds have really changed and lots of foods are now tasting much sweeter. A case in point is my bolognese sauce, made with mince, tinned tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs. I eat it with spiralized courgette but it is really too sweet.

Any alternative recipes? Cannot include mushrooms or celery as I am allergic to both.

Thanks!

I'd put a splash of apple cider vinegar in your usual recipe, it tends to counter the sweet elements in the dish and is where you get that typical "tomato soup" zing from

 

[Goonergal]

Thanks @Resurgam and @GrantGam I'll have a go at both of those ideas - still a few portions to get through from my last batch of cooking, but will experiment when I make the next lot.

 

[satindoll]

You could use Tomato Puree instead of tinned toms that should cut down on the sweet taste as puree has less sugar than tinned....

 

[Goonergal]

Put half a teaspoon of coffee in it. Don't knock it til you try it

Hmm.. interesting. Not sure if I'm brave enough for that one.

 

[GrantGam]

Thanks @Resurgam and @GrantGam I'll have a go at both of those ideas - still a few portions to get through from my last batch of cooking, but will experiment when I make the next lot.

You can add the vinegar to your existing batches if you want. It doesn't need to cook off

 

[Brunneria]

The store i get my tinned tomatoes from has about 5 different brands. Some have added sugar, some don't. Another factor is (i think) the time of year they are tinned, because that affects the natural sugars in the tomatoes.

I guess it is just a matter of buying carefully and then adjusting seasonings to suit your palette.

Way back in prehistory i used to buy tinned toms and then add half a teasp of sugar to reduce the acidity. Seems like a different life

 

[Goonergal]

Way back in prehistory i used to buy tinned toms and then add half a teasp of sugar to reduce the acidity. Seems like a different life

LOL! I can remember adding sugar to strawberries!

 

[Deleted member 308541]

We used tomato paste when we had spag bol before LCHF, it has a more concentrated taste than puree.

 

[RosieLKH]

I'd go with the fresh toms. I get mine from the reduced section, cook them up and freeze, so I always have some to use.

 

[Kristin251]

Put half a teaspoon of coffee in it. Don't knock it til you try it

I can totally see that!!! dark choco added to chili was great. I don't eat it anymore but took that sweet out. Coffee would probably do the same as dark choco. Little bitter.

I'd also go with fresh toms. Canned usually have sweeteners.

 

[Goonergal]

You can add the vinegar to your existing batches if you want. It doesn't need to cook off

Reporting back @GrantGam - tried a slug of apple cider vinegar in the bolognese sauce tonight and it seemed to do the trick. Might put a bit more in next time as was a bit tentative. Thanks for the tip.

 

[GrantGam]

Reporting back @GrantGam - tried a slug of apple cider vinegar in the bolognese sauce tonight and it seemed to do the trick. Might put a bit more in next time as was a bit tentative. Thanks for the tip.

Glad to hear it As @Resurgam said, you may want to reduce the time that you fry your onions as well. The longer they fry or sweat, the sweeter a taste they take on. If you allow them to fry for a shorter time, and finish cooking from boiling off in the tomato sauce, they will retain some of their bitterness and help to avoid over-sweetening of the dish

 

[Enclave]

My wife adds lemon juice to the sauce .. but we have it vegetarian, with mushrooms so it may work different with meat

 

[GrantGam]

My wife adds lemon juice to the sauce .. but we have it vegetarian, with mushrooms so it may work different with meat

Lemon juice is also an excellent alternative to vinegar. Anything with an acidic taste will counter the innate sweetness from the cooked tomatoes and fried onions.