How do I fix my mistake? (Chefs wanted)

LoraF83

I agree with those who are saying it's probably the type of onions and lack of salt.

I also had another thought - are you sautéing your food in butter? Is the butter "browning"? Browned butter turns very sweet. To prevent this, don't have the heat up too high while you are melting the butter (before adding your veg).

GorillaNJ

Try adding Thyme when dishes are too sweet... that is what i do when making a pot of gravy. Especially when fresh it adds a bitter quality that counters the sweet... a little extra salt is not a bad option either.

auntiebabs

If you are using canned beans and tomatoes,be sure and check the ingredients on the cans.

YES! I'm finding it hard to avoid added sugar. I stopped buy pre-made pasta sauce and switch to buying canned tomato sauce and spicing it up myself. But now even most basic tomato sauces have some type of added sugar, HFCS or Corn Syrup or Corn Sweetener.

roxylola

What are you frying in? I use olive oil sometimes alone and sometimes with butter.

A little salt won't hurt, it brings out flavours and actually counteracts the bitterness of cooked tomatoes for instance better than sugar.

If you cook anything for very long it basically breaks down and releases sugars and starches so tastes sweeter. Possibly look at how you are chopping veg etc, if you are chopping very small the food with cook quicker and release sweetness sooner.

Definitely look at the onions you are using. I tend to use white onion for cooked dishes and red for salad, cook until it goes transparent then add the next ingredients. Or you could cook a little less and it will retain more taste and bite.

Try adding garlic to the dishes. A whole clove adds a hint of flavour, the more you break it down the stronger the flavour - so crushed would make the most impact.

So I would cook a little hotter and quicker and add a pinch of salt and maybe some pepper.

roxylola

YES! I'm finding it hard to avoid added sugar. I stopped buy pre-made pasta sauce and switch to buying canned tomato sauce and spicing it up myself. But now even most basic tomato sauces have some type of added sugar, HFCS or Corn Syrup or Corn Sweetener.

Tin of chopped tomatoes, some fresh basil, a chopped onion, a glug of red wine, a little seasoning or maybe a stock cube if you are feeling extravagant, some mushrooms or other veg you like (grated carrot is good).

Soften the onion in a little olive oil, add the veg, fry for a minute or two then throw everything else in and simmer for half an hour.

Whizz it in a blender and you have a tomato sauce you can freeze and would easily feed 4 (as a basis for spag bol or similar)

Tastier and cheaper than anything in a supermarket!

endoftheside

Grilling makes veggies super sweet. Cooking onions does the same thing. I have noticed my lentil veggie stew tasting sweet and usually add bacon (hello salt) or lemon pepper to it (salt and lemon). I also add a little cayenne but I have to be careful with that, a little goes a long way in vegetarian dishes. I also add garlic to taste on a lot of things to balance out the flavor on my taste buds and fresh ground pepper.