# Lemon juice in spaghetti sauce?



## katybar22 (May 18, 2009)

Does anybody else put lemon juice in spaghetti sauce? I started doing it a long time ago when making sauce with canned tomatoes. To me, it just gave the sauce that tangy, fresh tomato taste. I don't know where I heard about doing this, but now unless I have fresh tomatoes I don't make sauce without a lemon.  I also do it w/ tomato based soups.


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## Laury (May 18, 2009)

I've never done that.  In fact just the opposite.  I often add sugar to balance out the tartness of the canned tomato sauce.  I love lemons and add them to many things for that fresh citrus flavor but have never felt the need to add to tomatoes.  It's all a matter of personal taste I guess.  If it makes your mouth happy, that's all that matters!


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## babetoo (May 18, 2009)

can u taste the lemon?


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## katybar22 (May 18, 2009)

babetoo said:


> can u taste the lemon?


 

No, it just tastes like a sweet/tart tomato.


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## ella/TO (May 18, 2009)

I use lemon and sugar when making tomato based cabbage borscht or stuffed cabbage. Which we then call it "sweet & sour"....have only just put some sugar in spaghetti sauces.


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## mcnerd (May 19, 2009)

Bottled lemon juice is added when canning tomatoes in order to increase the acidic level of the tomatoes.  Hybrid varieties over the years have become less acidic which creates a safety issue when canning them, thus the lemon juice addition.

You should not be able to taste the actual lemon juice, but it does make the sauce more acidic and probably does improve the flavor of the tomatoes on the taste buds.


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## kitchenelf (May 19, 2009)

I will have to try that.  I normally put a bit of red wine vinegar in mine...I guess it serves the same purpose?

A local restaurant makes this tomato parmesan soup that screams for a lemon to be squeezed in it.  Don't ask me how I heard that scream from a soup....  But, it worked and it was wonderful!!!!


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## Jeff G. (May 19, 2009)

katybar22 said:


> Does anybody else put lemon juice in spaghetti sauce? I started doing it a long time ago when making sauce with canned tomatoes. To me, it just gave the sauce that tangy, fresh tomato taste. I don't know where I heard about doing this, but now unless I have fresh tomatoes I don't make sauce without a lemon.  I also do it w/ tomato based soups.


Yes, especially if it's a meat sauce.  It cuts the grease, adds acid, adds a freshness...


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## bigdaddy3k (May 26, 2009)

kitchenelf said:


> I will have to try that. I normally put a bit of red wine vinegar in mine...I guess it serves the same purpose?
> 
> A local restaurant makes this tomato parmesan soup that screams for a lemon to be squeezed in it. Don't ask me how I heard that scream from a soup.... But, it worked and it was wonderful!!!!


 
All of my soups scream, scream of chicken, scream of mushroom, scream of celery...


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## ErikC (May 26, 2009)

I have added balsamic vinegar many times, so I guess lemon is not all that unusual. Especially Sicilian lemons, as they can be sweeter than many varieties.


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