Help, my stewed tomatoes are too tart. How can i avoid this next time?
I canned stewed tomatoes for the first time and they ended up being very tart. I cold packed them into Ball jars and had no trouble sealing them, but the liquid and pulp separated and they are extremely tart. I used a variety of tomatoes; beef, big boy, better boy and early girl. Followed Kerr stewed tomato recipe.
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2 Comments
Sugars and fats help mask or round out the sharpness but don't actually change the pH.
The tomatoes you used are great for slicing, but a bit too watery for canning. The liquid separation is normal for any canned tomato. Nothing wrong with it. Just mix the juice back in when you use the tomatoes.
As for the tart flavor: you might have added a bit too much acid, whether that be lemon juice or citric acid. Would need the recipe to try to troubleshoot. You can always balance out the tartness by adding a little bit of sugar or adding a flavorful olive oil (this was a tip from a friend with an Italian nonna).