No matter how diligently you plan for the day, some kind of kitchen flop always transpires on Thanksgiving. Hey, that's okay, we all can't be Ree Drummond. But this year, how about avoiding one of the most common Turkey Day transgressions? Too-bitter cranberry sauce, no more!
As Reader's Digest shares in "Thanksgiving Food Fails: 10 Quick Fixes for the Worst Dinner Screw-Ups," there's an easy way to fix your cranberry sauce if it comes out tasting too bitter. "Resist adding granulated sugar—you won’t get the full effect unless you reheat the sauce and the sugar dissolves," writes Kelsey Kloss. "Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."
If you don't have maple syrup or think its distinct taste may overpower your cranberry sauce, you can also try swapping that out for more neutral agave syrup or brown rice syrup.
WATCH: Three Thanksgiving Sides Your Holiday Needs
Now, whether you neglected your gravy or you feel like there are going to be too many cooks in your kitchen, here's how to solve the most popular Thanksgiving cooking mistakes.
FAQs
Mistake #4: Your Cranberry Sauce Is Too Bitter
How to get the bitterness out of cranberry sauce? ›
Add A Splash Of Vinegar
While citrus is a natural pairing for cranberry sauce, bright, savory vinegars like sherry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and apple cider vinegar play well with the bitter-tart berries. Start with a little, then add more gradually. It's easy to overdo it when in comes to bold vinegars.
What to do when cranberry sauce is too tart? ›
"Instead, start by stirring in one tablespoon maple syrup and one teaspoon of a sweet drink like apple juice, orange juice, or fruity white or red wine. Add more to taste. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (in small amounts, it intensifies sweetness)."
Why are my cranberry bitter? ›
Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.
How do you get the bitter taste out of cranberry juice? ›
Add 1/4-1/3 cup sugar depending on preference.
How can I counteract bitterness? ›
Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish. Firstly, it balances against bitterness.
Why does my homemade sauce taste bitter? ›
Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.
How do you mellow out tartness? ›
How to Make Food Less Acidic. Add a fat such as butter, heavy cream, sour cream, cheese, or olive oil to coat the tongue and physically block some of the acidity from your taste buds. You might also try adding a sweetener such as sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
How do you make a sauce less tart? ›
Add Some Baking Soda
If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.
How do I make my cranberry sauce less sweet? ›
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.
There are differences in flavor depending on the geography of where the sauce is made: in Europe it is generally slightly sour-tasting, while in North America it is typically more heavily sweetened.
How to tell if cranberry sauce is bad? ›
Regardless of a can's date, toss out any cranberry sauce cans that are leaky, rusted, bulging, or severely dented. If the top of the can is rounded instead of flat, the cranberry sauce has most likely gone bad. If you open the can and anything is brown or black, toss the can and its contents ASAP!
Are all cranberries bitter? ›
It depends on the cranberries you get but sometimes they can have bitter notes; it's not harmful. Generally if they're more ripe (deeper red) you won't experience that.
Why does cranberry juice taste so tart? ›
Tartness. Naturally, cranberries are low in sugar content and have a tart taste. As a result, unsweetened cranberry juice is generally considered unpalatable by consumers.
Does lemon juice help bitterness? ›
Citrus fruit juices are great at reducing the bitter aftertaste that some medications leave behind.
Is cranberry juice suppose to be bitter? ›
Introduction: Cranberries are typically sour, a bit sweet and rarely bitter. These delicious little berries are considered a functional food.
Does cranberry taste bitter? ›
Cranberries are small, hard, round, red fruits known for their bitter or tart flavor. They're widely thought to be a Thanksgiving must-have but are also used in sauces, juices, muffins, and more throughout the year.
