Sweeten my Bolognese please!

[FireandBrimstone]

I'm a rotten cook but usually manage to make an edible bolognese at least. Not today though... don't Threw together a big pot, pretty much the usual ingredients I use:

• frozen chopped onions
• turkey mince (I don't do red meat)
• 3 x cartons chopped tomatoes with garlic
• Italian seasoning
• hefty glut of red wine

Reduced it down for half an hour on a low heat.

It tastes quite bitter! Definitely not the mellow, tasty, slightly sweet taste that usually results.

How do I save this? Any good ideas?

Ditch the wine next time. Add tomato puree, salt and fresh basil or oregano

Add carrot, celery and red pepper to sweeten it

Add a splash of milk, sounds weird but works to smooth out the bitterness

DH tried the baking soda thing last week. I was dubious but it actually worked!

Celery, Worcester sauce and a stock cube or two

A generous tablespoon or so of mango chutney is my secret ingredient to a bolognese. Adds a little sweetness but not obvious what it is.

carrot & celery with your onion
a squirt of ketchup
a bay leaf

I put a whole tube of tomato purée in mine.

Onions will take at least 20 minutes to caramelise & sweeten, before adding anything else.
Sometimes cheap tins of toms can be a bit sharp, only then would I add a tiny amount of sugar.

If you slow cook don't add the wine, it just doesn't cook out in the same way at all - or at least, that's my experience!

Teaspoon of sugar and a splash of balsamic

i use milk; I use it in all mince based meals such as bolognese/ragu/lasagne/moussaka. Takes away the harshness that toms sometimes have and makes it mellow

You need to cook it for much longer than 30 mins. Add about half a cup of milk and then leave it in lowest heat for another 60 mins at least. Then try it again

Balsamic or ketchup.

Very grateful for all the bolognese tips still coming!

By way of an update - balsamic and ketchup have been enlisted. Ragu is now in the slow cooker, will see what it's like by dinner time.

As a total aside and I know it won't affect the taste but I am intrigued and tbh disproportionately excited by the mention of mashing it in one post, and suspect this could be a game changer for texture.

Conversely I have The Fear at the suggestions of milk but totally not ruling it out given its popularity on this thread.

I like lots of garlic and sundried tomato purée in mine.

I add some red pesto

I do carrots, celery and onion as a PP said, plus a good grating of nutmeg and a glug of milk. I wouldn't use red wine with turkey mince.

I actually now cook the mince in milk, with seasoning, garlic and bay leaves. I simmer it until the milk has all but disappeared, then add tomato puree and passata and cook for a couple of hours (if I have some I add white wine after the milk and do the same again before adding the puree/passata).

The texture is much finer and softer for the mince. Quite a new discovery for me but it's really good, you can't tell milk was used and its a silkier texture with more depth of flavour imo.

Henderson's relish 👍

I always think the crappiest tomatoes are the ones that get chopped and flavoured. Much better to use two tins whole plum tomatoes and one tin Cherry tomatoes (Aldi 75p). Lots of garlic in with the onions at the beginning. Put some ketchup in this one or if you have a jar of salsa chuck it in.

Final update - MNErs, you saved dinner!

Thanks all - it's much more mellow, sweeter and a million percent tastier (and I did mash it up a bit too which has absolutely lived up to the tantalising promise).

And probably most importantly, I've learned a lesson. I shall never bish-bash-bosh with the bolognese again.

I know, I didn't just disappoint myself, I disappointed all of you.

Pesto

Worcester sauce

Bit late now but two teaspoons of sugar and one teaspoon of Worcester sauce usually work for me.