Here's another condiment question. I made a fruit-based savory sauce earlier this summer, using a recipe which, like most such recipes, calls for just dumping the fruit, onions, spices, etc. into my jamming kettle and cooking it until reduced and sticky. But the stuff (all 8 pints of it!!) tastes rather unpleasant to me, I believe because the onions were not sweated in a little oil first. The sauce has a rough, raw-onion edge to it that overwhelms the fruit and spices. (The onions were beautiful, perfect, recently picked onions from a local organic farm, so the quality of the onions was not the culprit.) Any ideas on what can be done to correct this, after the fact, i.e., to salvage it? I like the spice and fruit combination generally, and would really love not to have to throw this stuff out. Thank you!!

AntoniaJames
  • 4500 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

susan G. October 10, 2010
If this is canned in sealed jars, it is likely that time will do all the mellowing it needs. Put one jar unsealed in the fridge to play with, but give the rest about 6 weeks before you start using them. I am afraid that 'fixing' it would a) make you crazy and b) make it something worse. Sleep on it!
 
calendargirl October 8, 2010
I wonder if in addition to adding a bit more fruit, you might add a small amount of sugar and a bit of lemon juice take the edge off the raw onion taste. Try it with a single pint first?
 
aargersi October 8, 2010
Could you mix it with some wine and / or juice and use it as a glaze on roast pork, chicken, fish? My ungelled blood orange marmalade has been re-purposed like that .... the roasting ought to help take the edge off the onion ...
 
TiggyBee October 8, 2010
I'm not too sure if this will work or not, but maybe you could make a new batch without the onion and then combine the over-oniony one with the onion-less one? Maybe try one pint to see if it works? I was able to fix something similar once, but not with the same problem. I had over-spiced!! Good luck!! : )
 
anyone October 8, 2010
Oh yah! I also have a few fruit sauces that I do and one I add mustard to. Maybe this could help mask the flavor if need be.
 
anyone October 8, 2010
AJ-My aproach would be the same as the ketchup. Onions are highly acidic. It won't do anything for the flavor of the onion really but if it's an acidic bite that your getting on the palate then I would go the same route to start. If that doesn't work a bit more fuit might help to "water down the onion" so to speak. I know this is after the fact but I wouldn't just sweat the onoin next time I would go for full on golden carmelization. Just some thoughts. Good luck!
 
Recommended by Food52