Cutting the acidity of tomato sauce

[Xandra]

Can anyone recommend a way to cut the acidity of tomatoes and tomato sauce? In regular pasta sauce, sugar is used, but I wonder how to do it in Whole30. I find that if I brown meat & onions, and add a can of tomatoes and marinara sauce, I can't eat it without my stomach cramping up.

[LRM]

For sauce: Take a large-ish, whole white/yellow onion, peel and cut off the ends. Stick the whole onion in the sauce for the entire cooking duration. Something about the onion cuts the acid and adds sweetness. I leave the onion in the leftover sauce, but you can take it out once the sauce is cooked.

[moggle]

I often sweat down a diced red or yellow pepper with the onion at the beginning. I wonder if this would add enough sweetness. My tomato-based pasta sauces (although I don't have it on pasta any more) benefit from being simmered slowly for ages. At least 20-30 minutes for just tomatoes and longer for tomato & meat (like bolognese).

[grnmtnmama]

I add finely grated carrot to mine and let it cook down until the carrot has completely softened. Tomato paste can also help.

[lindseynicole]

Sounds odd, but I juiced a clementine (or you can use an orange) into my tomato sauce. It seemed to help a ton! A little bit goes a long way.    My mom's a picky eater and she didn't even notice the orange juice!  Hope this helps!

[MelanieD]

I do the onion and carrot methods as well, and if I have leftover coffee in the pot I might pour some of that in too.

[MBC]

try more carrots and celery but also try a bay leave in the sauce

[Loulabelle]

Just adding a can of tomatoes to your browned meat is going to give you horrible sauce. You have to make the sauce separately, the tomatoes need to be cooked for quite a long time to get rid of the acidity. Adding onions, garlic and herbs can will add to the depth and flavour of the sauce as does adding the canned tomatoes to very hot oil to almost scald it (you have to be careful not to burn it when doing this). Only when you have a sauce you would eat on its own should you add it to your meat.