Metallic tomato sauce tastes metallic and tinny !

Hello! I was prepping for my lasagna tomorrow and I made a simple tomato sauce with canned San Marzano tomatoes. It has a metallic taste , and I’m wondering if this is a result of the tannins / overcooking or from the can itself. Is this safe to eat or is there a way to fix it ? I don’t have any more ingredients so it would be difficult to make another batch. Thanks for your help!

Erika
  • Posted by: Erika
  • December 25, 2020
  • 9617 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

JFernandes
JFernandes December 28, 2020
You can also use Alfredo Sauce instead of tomato sauce.
 
gandalf
gandalf December 26, 2020
If you cooked the sauce in a cast iron skillet, that might be a source of the metallic taste.

If I have a tomato sauce that is a bit too acidic, I will add some sour cream or whipping cream to it. That might also help with your situation.
 
Nancy
Nancy December 25, 2020
Erika - not a problem I've encountered (thank goodness!), but after a web search and seeing some articles, I found a couple resources for you.
Add baking soda, per several sources, including an earlier thread on the hotline here.
https://food52.com/hotline/45185-what-can-i-do-with-a-tomato-sauce-that-has-a-metallic-taste-used-canned-crushed-tomatoes
Or add some lemon juice.
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/canned-tomato-guide
Can't find any indication the metallic taste is unsafe.
If you haven't mixed the tomatoes in and your best efforts don't alleviate the metallic taste to your satisfaction, you could just leave out the tomato sauce and make the lasagna with white or cheese sauce (the same way people play with pizza, omit the tomato, and make a white pizza). You may want to jazz it up a bit, if the white seems to plain to you...add some dark green vegetables, nutmeg (or more nutmeg), some hot pepper taste (from flakes, or fresh chile peppers).
Good luck with your adjustments and happy Christmas!
 
Erika
Erika December 25, 2020
Thank you , Nancy! I had someone else taste it and they think it might be from the butter ( it kind of coats your tongue in an odd way). I am going to attempt the baking soda/pinch of sugar fix and if that doesn’t work - I found a jar of marinara in my earthquake food supply! Ha! Thanks again this was super helpful! Merry Christmas !
 
Erika
Erika December 25, 2020
I made this sauce and doubled the recipe with two cans of San Marzano tomatoes: https://food52.com/recipes/13722-marcella-hazan-s-tomato-sauce-with-onion-butter
 
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