HELP! MY STEW ALWAYS TASTES BITTER!!!

[Lummie]

Originally Posted by muhana

I usually use canned diced tomatos - one big can:half an onion:1 large bell pepper. Then I boil it until the water dries - about 10 - 20 minutes.

unbalanced ratio.

for that much tomato, you need more pepper. If you want more liquid content, use meat stock. Too much tomato spoils the stew.., I think.

[Arinze]

NO, her friend is not "right". Not cooking the tomatoes long enough shouldn't make your stew "bitter". My guess has gotta be with the spices she uses.. maybe she don go add one kind yeye kenyan or american spice

Originally Posted by Icegold

You're friend is right, you're not frying the tomato long enough. Try using ur nose as a guide, raw tomatoes have a certain smell, make sure that at smell has gone away. that usually helps me when i'm no sure whether or not d tomato is cooked.

Do you add meat stock to ur stew? I find that when i mis judge the tomatoes, I have to cook the stew for longer after adding the meat stock

[Arinze]

Yeah, the canned tomato (or maybe the type you use) might just be your problem

[blusondai]

Too much seasoning makes stew/soup bitter. Especially the unsalted seasoning. The tomatoes are not too much. If its a large bell pepper, dont use all. Also try adding the small hot pepper to it. The thing has to have some pepper in it now.

[Icegold]

Originally Posted by ND

Yeah, the canned tomato (or maybe the type you use) might just be your problem

i use canned tomatoes all the time..it's not d problem

[pebbles]

Like someone said it could be the ratio, but when u say bitter do u mean sour? Don't see how tomatoes could taste bitter. Add more onion and a little more bell peper. I add fresh ginger to mine sometimes, ginger has a sweet taste, it could help.

[Lummie]

^^^

tomatoes are acidic and could give the tart taste she is referring to. the redder, the less it would tart tasting.

Now i'm trying to figure out how frying it for longer would remove the tartiness.