How to fix separating spaghetti sauce?
I am making spaghetti sauce from home-grown tomatoes. They were standard garden tomatoes - not Romas or anything you'd traditionally use for sauce, but hey, they're what I had.
The sauce has been simmering for a few hours and is reducing nicely. To stir, it has a lovely consistency, but when it sits, water collects at the bottom and the sauce becomes almost mealy until I stir it all up again.
In other words, it's not just thin and "watery," but the liquid (virtually clear by itself) is actually separating out.
The sauce doesn't necessarily need to be "thickened" (although it could be), but I'd like to stop it from separating like this. I'd rather avoid using canned tomato paste if possible. Any other ideas?
Best Answer
Par-blending the sauce (eg with a stick blender) could thicken/emulsify it just enough to stop it from separating but without adding any thickener.
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Quick Answer about "How to fix separating spaghetti sauce?"
If your sauce has broken completely, there is still hope. The Kitchn recommends whisking an egg yolk with a bit of whatever liquid you are using as the sauce's base. Gradually add your broken liquid to the egg yolk mixture, one tablespoon at a time. In doing this, you're forming a fresh emulsion.How do you fix separated spaghetti sauce?
Reheating it slowly while consistently stirring or whisking can whip your sauce back into main dish shape. Start from scratch\u2013\u2013don't throw out your broken sauce, but start your base anew, then slowly combine the two sauces over heat. Voila!How do you fix separated sauce?
Use a teaspoon or two of whatever liquid you've used as a base (like water, wine, or vinegar) and whisk vigorously. The sauce should tighten up in a few seconds and the fat droplets will get suspended back into the emulsion.Why is my spaghetti sauce separating?
Separation in canned tomato products is not unsafe. It merely reflects the action of enzymes in tomatoes that have been cut and allowed to sit at room temperature. The enzymes that naturally occur will begin to break down pectin in the tomatoes.How do you keep homemade tomato sauce from separating?
Pull your pasta a minute or two early, let drain but do not rinse it, and add it to your sauce. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce, absorbing some of the liquid. It will also release some of its starch into the liquid, helping to bind it.How To Fix Curdled Or Broken Sauce
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Answer 2
I would recommend adding some oil (like extra virgin olive oil), and an emulsifier, like a little ground mustard, to help the water and oil mix together, so that it gets thicker and mixes with the sauce evenly. I don't recommend adding oil if you're going to can the sauce afterward, though (due to the botulism risk with oil).
I do recommend looking at rackandboneman's answer, too.
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