Effortlessly Fix Bitter Canned Tomatoes With A Simple Pantry Staple

Canned tomatoes are a culinary powerhouse. Even though fresh options are generally available in grocery stores year-round, there are certain areas where canned tomatoes can outperform their newly-harvested cousins, such as in an all-purpose basic tomato sauce, plus stews, roasts, even Israeli shakshuka, just to name a few. While fresh tomatoes impart some bright flavor and zest, tomatoes are cooked during the canning process. This step tends to concentrate their flavor and allows them to shine in rich, hearty fare, in addition to the convenience factor. 

But after long periods of sitting in the aluminum container, canned tomatoes can sometimes pick up a bitter, metallic taste. This often occurs because the tomatoes are canned in an acidic solution that acts as a preservative, which then reacts with the aluminum over time. Fortunately, as long as you've got some baking soda lying around the pantry, the fruit can be livened up with minimal effort. Whether you're creating a sauce for a fiery arrabbiata or a succulent, slow-cooked butter chicken, this simple trick will make your canned tomatoes shine every time.

Before proceeding with this trick, you should first taste your canned tomatoes and determine whether or not they have that bitter, tinny taste and need any doctoring. If they do, move the contents to a small or medium saucepan and begin simmering the fruit over low heat. Once you've raised the temperature and can see some steam or a few bubbles, begin slowly and gradually adding in baking soda.

You shouldn't need more than 1/4-teaspoon, so be sure to keep the dashes light. The baking soda may react with the tomatoes and produce some fizz or bubbles, but this is okay. Just be sure to keep gradually stirring and tasting as you go, until the tomatoes taste more lively and fresh.

Baking soda works here because it's a known antacid — under its scientific name, sodium bicarbonate, it's often used to treat heartburn and indigestion. When canned tomatoes are processed, they're often packed in acidic solutions such as lemon juice, citric acid, or vinegar, to act as a preservative. By raising the pH level of the canned tomatoes, baking soda removes some excess acidity and makes them more palatable.

Baking soda is one of the more chemically reactive ways to deal with high acidity tomatoes, but it is by no means the only way. Worcestershire sauce is another reliable method for removing an unwanted metallic flavor. The dark, tangy sauce contains glutamates, which trigger an umami flavor response and can elevate sweet and savory notes in foods like canned tomatoes. But, as with the baking soda, add a small amount at a time for best results — otherwise, you can overwhelm the flavor of the fruit.

You can also try draining and setting aside the liquid from the canned tomatoes before gently cooking the solid fruit in a saucepan and allowing them to lightly caramelize. Just as caramelizing onions brings out more of their sweet flavor, doing the same with tomatoes can also enhance their natural sweetness and cut down on bitter flavors. Once the process is done, the liquid can be added back in to create a refreshed sauce base.