Cranberry sauce is supposed to be a balance of sweet and tart. The sauce acts as a cleansing port in a tumultuous storm of fat and salt, but the effect is lost if the sauce is too sweet. Luckily, there is a very easy way to fix an over-sugared homemade sauce: You just need a little citric acid.
Sure, you could add lemon, but that brings its own, cranberry-obscuring flavor. Citric acid, which A.A. Newton refers to as “sour MSG,” is an all-purpose acid enhancer that belongs in your pantry year-round, but it’s particularly useful in dishes that need tartness, but nothing else:
Since its only noticeable flavor is “sour,” citric acid lets you tweak the acidity levels in a dish without overpowering any of the other flavors, which is always a risk with something like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. It’s also great for dishes that benefit from a little tartness but absolutely do not need any additional liquid.
Photo: McCormick
Sound like a sauce you know? To use citric acid to save over-sweetened cranberry sauce, simply use it like you would MSG in a savory dish, and stir in little pinches until your sauce is as tart as you desire. But don’t stop there. You can use citric acid in a cloying apple pie filling, a one-note turkey brine, or heavy, stodgy stuffing. Heck, you can even live a little and add it to your gravy. A tiny bit won’t taste lemony, or vinegary; it will just gently enhance the brightness of any dish that you add it. In a meal that’s known for heavy, meaty, and creamy flavors, this contrast is most welcome.
This article was written by Claire Lower on Skillet and shared by Claire Lower to Lifehacker from Lifehacker and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.
