Used too much lemon juice in Mediterranean salad
I accidentally used a tablespoon too much lemon juice in a Mediterranean salad. The other ingredients are cucumber, tomato, mint, onion, and olive oil, with salt and pepper to taste. Oh my GOSH is it tart. How can I balance the acidity without compromising the flavor profile? Thanks in advance.
Best Answer
Might as well make this an official answer --
The easiest way to deal with too much of an acidic liquid, when there aren't any other liquids involved is to simply drain it, and see how it is. If you don't have a suitably sized strainer or colander, you can use a slotted spoon to transfer the salad to another bowl while leaving the liquid behind.
If it's still too acidic after that, if it's in a colander or strainer you can try giving it a shake to get more liquid off ... although it might end up crushing the tomatoes.
You can also try rinsing the acid off -- you can use water, but it can mute the flavors and you may have to then drain it again and try adding back in some acid. An easier approach is to use a lemon-lime (or other citrus) soda -- it has some acid, the citrus taste, but also some sugar to help balance out the acid.
... and failing all that, you can take Paparazzi's suggestion and add something with some fat in it -- olive oil or cheese can help to balance out the acidity. (although we're usually working the other way -- acid to brighten up heavier fatty foods)
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How do you fix too much lemon in a salad?
You can also try rinsing the acid off -- you can use water, but it can mute the flavors and you may have to then drain it again and try adding back in some acid. An easier approach is to use a lemon-lime (or other citrus) soda -- it has some acid, the citrus taste, but also some sugar to help balance out the acid.What will you do to dilute a lemon juice if it tastes too sour?
Tartness is a subset of sourness, but it implies that the acidity is coming specifically from citrus. It's easily counteracted with a small amount of sugar, honey or maple syrup.How do you make food less lemony?
Try adding a little baking soda. It can neutralize excess acidity. Add it in the ratio of \xbc of a teaspoon per one cup of liquid. Alternatively, you can add other things like cheese (if making a sauce), honey, or sugar, but these add a different taste to boot flavors.Ladolemono: Lemony Olive Oil Dressing
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