When cooking tomato sauce for a long time, should you add water?
I know tomato sauce should be cooked for a long time to develop flavor. To prevent it burning you have to stir constantly, though I find it burns on the stove (and the oven) too much without adding water.
I wonder however if adding water can stop the sauce from developing flavor since boiling food cannot reach 300+ temperatures required for flavor to develop. Lately I found putting a lid on the skillet reduces evaporation and thus chance for burning, though I think it may defeat the purpose.
When cooking tomato sauce, does adding water to prevent sauce from burning stop the flavor development?
Best Answer
Tomatoes are mostly water anyway. They're not going to get above boiling point whether or not you add water (or at least not by more than a very few degrees even with salt added - less than the effect of altitude).
On the other hand the browned bits from the bottom of the pan (often called fond in the US though I've never heard this in the UK and the usage in France is a bit different) do give a nice flavour to the sauce so long as they don't catch.
If you do add water, you'll need to simmer it down anyway, making that the stirring step still happens, just later. But adding some water fairly early can give you some flexibility. A good time to do this is when it's starting to need constant stirring but you need to get on with the rest of the meal. A low heat and a heavy pan help too.
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Should I add water to tomato sauce?
Add about a \xbc-1/2 cup or ladle full of water to your sauce before adding the pasta. The salty, starchy water not only adds flavor but helps glue the pasta and sauce together; it will also help thicken the sauce. The way you drain the pasta can also affect the flavor and texture.How long do you water can tomato sauce?
Process the jars of tomato sauce: place the jars on the rack of the canner and lower the jars into the boiling water. Cover the canner and process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes (if you live above 1000 feet in elevation you'll have to adjust processing time.Can you cook tomato sauce too long?
Be careful not to overcook. Since some tomato sauces are ruined by overcooking, always reheat to hot, but take care not to continue cooking the sauce. If you are using fresh tomatoes in your recipe, taste before buying. The words "vine-ripened" are no assurance of good taste.Do you add water to simmer sauce?
As with slow cookers, you will generally want to add enough water to the simmer sauce to keep the sauce as a liquid during the instant pot cooking process.Canning 100 Pounds of Tomatoes with an Italian Pro Cook
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Answer 2
In short no. Do not add water.
As you cook the toms water in them will evaporate creating a concentrated flavor. In the UK we call this process a "reduction". Any water you add will simply poach the tomatoes and dilute the flavor again.
If you find your sauce is burning I'd suggest your heat is too high. Or you may need a heavier bottomed pan. You want the toms/sauce to just tickle over, not a rolling boil. Your assumption about using a lid is correct. Don't stir continuously, rather swirl the pan from time to time and focus on your boiling speed. Slow and gentle.
If you find the sauce is getting too thick then add a little stock (veal or beef is best). but be carful not to dilute the rich tomato flavor. Taste, taste, taste.
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