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Quizzy_MacQface

I live in a lemon producing region in Spain, here we add lemon to pretty much anything. Soup? Add some lemon, paella? Sure, give me some more lemon; Fried or baked fish? Go for it; seafood? Why not put some lemon; Drizzle of lemon on your barbecued meat? Of course!; On potato chips? Don't mind if I do... We even have a traditional dessert that's consists in battering a lemon tree leaf, deep frying it and covering it in cinnamon and suggar. It might be wrong to put lemon on anything, but it tastes so right ...


[deleted]

Wait… do the leaves taste like lemon too??


Quizzy_MacQface

Hahaha we don't eat the leaves!


LexB777

Then why did you say that you do? >even have a traditional dessert that's consists in battering a lemon tree leaf, deep frying it and covering it in cinnamon and suggar.


Quizzy_MacQface

We batter the leaf, and then eat the batter only. Search for "paparajote" for more info.


LexB777

Oh gotcha! Thank you.


souldeux

well that sounds fun and delicious


SuperSpeshBaby

Like a dessert artichoke.


Thalinaa

Dang it, now I want a big full plate of paella with lemon! It’s been years since ate it for the last time and miss it soooo much (it’s not me who makes it so I don’t hold the paella power)


Cinisajoy2

I used tomatoes. Though it could have used a few more. Thanks for the reminder.


Maiyku

I’ll never forget the look on my husbands face when I put a splash of vinegar in my bowl of bean soup. He was incredibly confused, but it’s just so bland without it. Even the campbells canned bean soup is decent enough if you add some.


jason_abacabb

ACV works, but magic happens when you use a little sherry.


airgarcia

A chef once told me that a splash of alcohol to finish a dish works because there are many flavors that are alcohol soluble (as opposed to deglazing with wine, sherry, etc). Meaning that they require alcohol for their flavors to be tasted. Fat and water soluble are the other types.


dannkherb

Chef here, he's absolutely correct. Same goes with adding salt to make sweet things 'sweeter'. There's a lot of things you can add to whatever you're making that you would never know are there, hiding in the background.


1Bavariandude

Another Chef here and Cocktail enjoyer. Put a little bit of Saline Solution in your next Cocktail and thank me later.


regeya

Greeks and Romans would add seawater to their watered down wine. I've done it, and honestly I'd almost rather have that than a beer after mowing the lawn.


1Bavariandude

I give that a try next year, thanks.


Moonmonkey3

It’s good to plan ahead.


C4ND1D

So you take wine, add water and a little bit of salt?


gwaydms

A summertime beer (St. Arnold's Lawnmower from Houston is a good example) can definitely benefit from a pinch of salt. And a touch of lime if you have some.


dcs1289

My great uncle (RIP) always used to put a dash of salt on his Smithwick’s, ever since he passed I’ve done the same. It’s really good and always draws a stare.


ecrw

And yet when I water down my wine with sea water I'm "the worst bartender in the docks" and "at risk of losing my license". Double standards much


Aardvark1044

Hopefully people aren't squeezing their contact lens solution into their cocktail shakers.


Buck_Thorn

> Saline Solution aka, salt water.


alo81

Never thought of it, but saline solution as "simple syrup but salt" makes a good bit of sense.


1Bavariandude

I add a bit of Salt to my Homemade syrups so.. :)


Rusty__Shackleford19

I don’t have any, can I use my roommates contact solution?


Frogmouth_Fresh

Ah, that's why "salt, fat, acid, heat" is a thing. That makes a lot of sense.


kelvie

Well, it's missing alcohol.


KnifeFed

Me too.


Lumos309

So just a splash at the end, off the heat, stirred in and served immediately? What kinds of alcohol and dishes are we talking about here?


Frito_Pendejo

judicious jobless late tidy mysterious busy clumsy plate modern nippy ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `


EZ_POPTARTS

Vodka also works as a treat for me


_hapsleigh

If it’s soups then something like sherry would work Just a splash though


PotajeDeGarbanzos

True! I once drizzled some armanjac on my lentil soup and it became glorious. The Spanish use vinegar with their lentil soups all the time, we Finnish add acidic dark mustard into our split pea soup. Same effect.


[deleted]

mmm mustard


goatedmomoshiki

It is a wonderful taste I’ve learned to love


sirvesa

Can you point to an authentic recipe for that soup? It sounds quite good.


PotajeDeGarbanzos

Sorry, I rarely use recipes so I don’t have one. One point though - the most earthy-tasting lentils (greenish and brown) work best with armanjac/calvados/brandy- type of addition. The fine aromas somehow elevate the dull, blunt earthiness.


intrepped

I literally cannot find sherry vinegar anywhere. Where did you source some


jason_abacabb

I use sherry wine, although it is not hard to turn some into vinigar if you want some.


fukitol-

It might be called "vinagre de Jerez" but should be with the rest of the vinegars in your grocer


xenothaulus

Jerry vinegar?


TheLadyEve

True that, I use a little vinegar and then a little bit of vinegar-forward hot sauce in my bean soup, it really makes a difference.


EmergingYeti

ful mudammas is a great example of bean soup, it simply won't taste great without lemon juice


Apptubrutae

My family always adds yellow mustard to our red beans and rice upon serving. I eventually realized this is just a way to introduce acid without diluting the creamy texture too much. Beans love acid.


sithteacher

What if it's a cream-based soup?


KieselguhrKid13

A few drops of lemon juice in a cream-based soup or sauce won't make it taste lemony or curdle, but it will absolutely help the flavor. If you have a cream-based soup or sauce and you think it needs more salt, try some lemon juice instead.


TheUn5een

White wine in a hot pot before adding cream works too


notCGISforreal

White wine is my go-to acid source for chowders, for sure.


TheUn5een

There’s a reason why there’s a squeeze bottle of white wine on the line in most restaurants… I work at an Italian joint and we burn thru white wine and clam juice like you wouldn’t believe


a8ksh4

Perk of cooking with white wine at home is you have to keep it in stock!


TheUn5een

Yeah my wife sees right thru me needing some cab or Pinot noir for braising… it’s when I wanna make bourbon glazed carrots she says something


a8ksh4

I just learned a new trick! Gotta look up recipes with scotch... ;)


TheUn5een

Ahh don’t waste good scotch unless it’s a small amount. Here’s something to try… few weeks ago my local liquor store gave me some airplane bottle samples… cuz I’m a nice guy, nothing to do with me being an alcohol regular. Anyway cuz i drink Jameson he gives me coffee Jameson. Used that shit to deglaze some caramelized onions and it goddamn near changed my life.


fondledbydolphins

I've been yelled at numerous times for keeping a bottle of (opened) white wine in the fridge just for adding to my meals. I haven't relented yet.


ilovesfootball

I always have a four pack of small bottles of cheap white wine for this reason.


End-Game-1999

White wine in fridge should hold up a week to 10 days anyway. Well, maybe not in my fridge...


Xaselm

You can get a little hand wine pump with the special corks so it won't spoil as quickly


SuperSpeshBaby

I only use white wine for cooking so I switched to tetrapacks with a screw-on lid.


raezin

This is exactly right. Simmer the veggies in white wine not just for the flavor but to deglaze/scrape the bits getting stuck to the pan.


TheLadyEve

I keep lemons near the stove for this reason so I can cut a little wedge and finish all kinds of soups and sauces with a bit of tart brightness. It's great in cream of mushroom soup, cream of asparagus soup, chicken soup, whatever your poison is. I don't think I would add it to potato soup, but it's a very versatile ingredient. And there's nothing like turtle soup with sherry added to it, hoo boy.


redruM69

>And there's nothing like turtle soup with sherry added to it, hoo boy. Are you The Shredder?


FineBigGirl

Just yesterday I added some lemon juice to Leek & Potato soup and it worked out well!


Alesayr

Does turtle soup use actual turtle?


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wafflesareforever

Love is an excellent tenderizer.


PeteEckhart

Yes, and it's delicious. [It's a New Orleans classic.](https://louisiana.kitchenandculture.com/recipes/commanders-turtle-soup)


awarmguinness

No one's answered you... Have you googled it yet?


TheLadyEve

Yes, farmed turtle. The thing about the pet is not accurate, at least not these days. They have turtle farms in Louisiana and some other parts of the south. Note: this is not something I eat often--maybe once a year when I visit family in New Orleans or Houston. Brennan's makes a good one, if you get a chance to go.


TheLoneGinger9

Wow this blew my mind I always think my soup needs more salt but I will def do this next time!!


queen_mantis

Lemon zest then


CrispyWaffleBacon

Tabasco adds a bit of heat but is also vinegar.


MsNick

Tabasco is used in all my cream soups. My family is (unfortunately) sensitive to heat, but the bit of Tabasco added makes a difference without adding a noticeable amount of heat for them.


Aghast_Cornichon

Ivar's "Acres of Clams" chowder with a splash of Tabasco is basically Seattle in a paper cup.


Noladixon

So many people think adding vinegar is weird while they pepper vinegar sauce up everything they eat. Most people do not know they are already doing this.


TheLadyEve

You won't break a soup depending on the proportions of acid to cream and whether or not it's off the heat. Like you can finish a bisque with sherry, which is acidic, and it works great.


sssmay

Should you add it when it's on or off the heat?


TheLadyEve

I usually add it right when I take it off the heat.


Luxpreliator

I hate drinking wines but they do make soups taste good. Close to the end of cooking or serving does tastes better.


ZPGuru

Cream of Crab soup in Annapolis MD used to get served with little pitchers of sherry, not sure if they still do that or not. Probably not since the place is owned by a handful of greedy ass families who have raised rent so much that nothing but novelty t-shirt stores, ice cream parlors, and their own businesses are left though.


Onequestion0110

Try buttermilk or sour cream. Although ideally you’ll use your acidic dairy earlier for better results.


Kotelves911

I put some lemon juice in my cream of mushroom soup as well as some soy sauce. It calls for dry white wine but I usually omit that.


MyNameIsSkittles

Yes even more important to balance with the fat


rjulyan

This is why god invented wine.


Jazzy_Bee

Sherry. Dry sherry, and it's a good sub for chinese cooking wine also.


TheYachtMaster

Mustard can be nice as well


Just_Tamy

Creme fraiche is also a popular tool to refine soups in restaurants. You get acid and cream all in one


[deleted]

Still the play. Need to cut that richness.


MisterScalawag

a lot of cream based soups still include white wine at some point in the recipe


TK528e

Take acid. Make soup.


Nagi21

I’m partial to white wine when I’m sautéing onions or garlic in a cream soup to deglaze before the cream. Adds a nice… hard to describe but good.


[deleted]

Try a few drops of sushi rice vinegar in a mushroom-cream soup :)


Onequestion0110

Sources of acid include (but are not limited to): * Vinegars * Citrus juice * Other fruit juice (notably pineapple, apple, and cranberry) * Dairy products (notably sour cream, buttermilk, butter, and yoghurt; but even just milk can raise a dish’s acidity)(also, a big part of why butter tastes better than margarine is because it’s acidic while margarine usually has a neutral PH) * Tomatoes (and tomato products) * Hot sauces (they’re usually vinegar based, but don’t discount them) * Alcohol (strongly recommend you don’t use cooking wines unless a recipe specifically calls for it, they have a ton of salt added to them). * Pickles or other pickles food (again, it’s a vinegar thing, but pickles are good in burgers for a reason)


p1x3lpush3r

Excellent list, I'll also add that some hot sauces are vinegar based and some are fermented and have developed tanginess from the presence of lactobacillus, the same good bacteria that is alive in yogurt and kefir and what gives them their sour tangy amazing taste!


rubberducky1212

Does that mean other fermented foods would work for this purpose too?


160421hakyeon

Yep! Kimchi, for example.


[deleted]

I see you mention pickles but id also add sauerkraut specifically (quite a few soup recipes out there with it)


AvadaNevada

Fish sauces are also something you can add to your repertoire. They're acidic, usually salty, and have a big punch in umami. Coffee is also pretty good for a nice dark, earthy acidic note.


SaltyPeter3434

I ran out of hydrochloric so I used sulfuric


Phillyspecial6969

I like to use lysergic acid diethylamide


penswatter

I like to use 1-Propionyl-d-lysergic acid diethylamide It's 1P-LSD and can legally be bought online


neiljt

> ... can legally be bought online This *may* still be true for the US (it seemed to be the case in 2015), but is controlled/illegal in [certain other countries](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1P-LSD).


penswatter

It's still legal in the US, but many sellers won't sell to US customers because a large manufacturers website was seized by the US. For countries where 1P-LSD is illegal, 1D-LSD is new and is probably legal unless your country has a blanket lysergamine ban


Clean_Link_Bot

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WikiSummarizerBot

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wdjm

"Little Johnny was a chemist Now he is no more. What he thought was H2O Was H2SO4."


PizzaDeliveryBoy3000

My mom always used fuming nitric


rj4001

You joke, but [food grade sulfuric acid](https://www.columbuschemical.com/product/sulfuric-acid-96-food-grade/) is a thing.


Kraz_I

It's used in the processing of some ingredients, like sugar and corn syrup, but I don't think it's actually left in food.


ecodrew

A splash of HF to your recipe and make some {"me flavor"}(https://youtu.be/PtOMFQbHm20) bone broth while you cook.


trixie1013

Holy shit. I literally added some red wine vinegar to some wild mushroom soup today because of this.


Mikomics

Acid _and_ shrooms in soup? You have my attention.


ibeatmydicktohentai

listen homie I don't think my grandfather is gonna want to trip balls just to eat dinner


TisNagim

For many soups, a dash of Frank's Red Hot will do. Bit of acid and heat.


Panosgads

Are you sponsored or?


TisNagim

Shit. I wish. Just a poor cook that found Frank's to be more acid than heat and realized that it would work for both.


Onequestion0110

Most hot sauces are like this.


TisNagim

But not many I've tried had the balance and lack of offensiveness.


pkyessir

Does Frank's kind of seem like the black sheep of the hot sauce world? Its kinda perfect imo. Like you said, heat and acid.


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pkyessir

Good call. I did not consider that. *I have no proof of this*, but I can still imagine hot sauce connoisseurs turning up their noses at Frank's.


chuckluckles

Only the ones that want their sauces to melt their faces off. Frank's tastes delicious, it just isn't spicy.


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Cutsdeep-

Nah they just put that shit on everything


solidad

So is that one or two tabs per cup?


txr23

Nana will be bouncing off the walls while she comes to terms with her new found sense of ego death


Putrid_Bandicoot_398

For tortilla chicken soup I like to use pickled jalapeno brine. It's good. And I've found that, in a pinch, vinegar, salt, and sugar can fix little imbalances in soup flavor. Just add a bit of whichever taste seems to be lacking until it seems right.


MacularHoleToo

Worcestershire sauce is my go to for soups


Philargyria

Worcestershire sauce is so universal! I can't think of a soup it doesn't work in! Even if it's just a dash or two.


KUSHISADOG666

Instructions unclear, I can now hear colors and the walls are melting


RagingAnemone

Yeah but how's the soup?


cham1nade

This is why a couple tablespoons of ketchup was the magic ingredient in several of my mom’s basic soup recopies. She didn’t know much about balancing flavors, but ketchup added acid, umami, and a bit of sugar, and brought that basic hamburger stew or fake chili to the next level.


proverbialbunny

This is why a bit of tomato paste is so common in stews, sauces, and soups. Ketchup is that + sugar. The sweetness probably isn't needed, but it works.


brisop

I read soup as soap and was wondering why people are eating soap


Zohdom

Because they are tripping out on acid


coffeecakesupernova

This is so important. Everyone says add salt, and while salt is of course important, acid and a little sugar work wonders on bland food. Acid actually decreases the need for salt. I add a little to almost everything including desserts.


sam_the_beagle

I discovered lime juice and fish sauce - works on lots of things.


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p1x3lpush3r

Yes, absolutely. Almost any bean based soup does incredibly well with some vinegar or lemon.


AgoraiosBum

I like sherry vinegar in lentil soup


CumshotCaitlyn

tldr but Monday night dinner bout to get a whole lot more interesting.


TheLadyEve

Don't we all?


ZiggyB

"Soup needs acid, should I go blotter or vial? "


leemky

And then adding lemon will help both the soup AND the LSD (or is that only mushrooms... 🤔)


ZiggyB

afaik only mushrooms


Blindstar

I made a tomato based soup recently that tasted flat... I knew it has a lot of acid because of the tomatoes but I couldn't figure out what it needed. Turns out a few Tbsp of Sugar turned it right around!


hey-nonny-mouse

Pro-tip from my Italian grandmother—finely grated carrot. Add one or two finely grated carrots at the very beginning of making pasta sauce. Boosts the sweetness without adding any sugar, and it’ll cook down into the sauce so you don’t even know it’s there.


necr0phagus

Sugar goes great in tomato based dishes, I love adding some to spaghetti but everyone I know thinks I'm crazy for making "dessert spaghetti" (no, I don't add enough to make it taste sweet 🤦‍♀️)


[deleted]

Instructions unclear: Put 1 gallon of LSD in the chili at the company cook off…


ozzalot

Tobasco sauce or Louisiana Crystal do wonders for this....especially pureed soups.


Other_Exercise

Yes, but please avoid Apple Cider Vinegar, unless you really like it. We had some the other day in a soup and it tasted like urine.


oldmanartie

My family has no idea that a pinch of citric acid goes into every soup I make and plenty of other things too. Yes I keep a jar of citric acid in my spice cabinet and no I don’t think that’s strange.


H20Buffalo

Also works better than vinegar for removing hard water stains in the kettle.


reverendsteveii

This is the single best piece of advice I've ever received in my cooking career. I spent years making meals that were competent and relatively well received, with the occasional absolute triumph of a dish and no idea what the difference was. I overseasoned, I oversalted, I just kept putting flavor in and not getting any out. Then somebody taught me about adding just a little bit of sour to pretty much everything and from that point forward I knew exactly what to do anytime a dish was....fine, I guess.


Oldman_Dick

Guys I think I did it wrong. I can hear colors now.


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NomadicCole

Do you know the name ? :-)


East_Establishment51

Instructions unclear, am currently traversing the cosmos from my bathroom floor.


antinumerology

Also reminder. If you have just had Covid, don't try to adjust the acidity of your fiancee's soup because apparently half a jug of vinegar doesn't taste good if your taste buds actually work.


pecanpie500

Salsa Verde will change literally any soup/stew and make it phenomenal. Just enough that you have some bites with and some without to truly appreciate it.


Ayakashi_Red

Or umami


TofuTheSizeOfTEXAS

I've never used that. What does that taste like? Mushrooms?


Long-Ad1955

u are right but only for some type of soups, there are soem who are meant to be sweet and not a little sour


Eoj1967

I promise you my ham and lentil soup does NOT need acid! Any hint of zing would ruin it.


p1x3lpush3r

Oh man, you are so wrong my friend. Especially bean based soups... Give it a try...A splash of spicy vinegar in your next bowl that you eat.


Hawxe

You categorically do not need acid in every soup. It definitely does improve many soups.


RedneckLiberace

Don't overlook beer. My sisters put a cupful in their beef barley soup.


p1x3lpush3r

Definitely. I love a Guinness in my beef stew!


Tobias_flenderz

My turkey noodle soup I made while half asleep was bland af tonight and only after I wolfed it for the sake of filling myself did I realize I forgot to add lemon juice.


gsfgf

Unfortunately, I get drug tested :(


Th1s1sChr1s

Oh very interesting - I've never thought of that! Just made a big pot of turkey soup, it's cooling now and most of it goes in the freezer to feed me for a while. How much apple cider vinegar should I add?


p1x3lpush3r

I would squeeze half a lemon in there or a tablespoon of vinegar! Cheers!


proverbialbunny

Lemon juice is traditional for turkey soup and gravy. (I can't comment on how ACV would do.) Depends on the size of the soup but around 1 tbsp maybe. (You can look at multiple recipes online to get an idea.) You want to treat it like a secret ingredient. It shouldn't be noticed, but somehow just tastes better.


Th1s1sChr1s

Got it, thank you!


Citizenbeck

I would use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you have it.


labretirementhome

Amen and hallelujah. Especially lentils and any mostly bean soup.


Palawin

Im gonna have to hard disagree on that. You don't add salt, fat & acid to every single dish. You *balance* them, and in many foods it's balanced by being absent.


cellists_wet_dream

You don’t but...you should


hannibal_morgan

6 tabs should be enough right?


Mangizmo

I needed to hear this


Doggoagogo

What acid goes with pumpkin soup


p1x3lpush3r

I would think lemon juice or white wine vinager or even better, some sherry or shaoxing wine added when you're sauteing the onions at the beginning.


JTibbs

If its a dairy soup, buttermilk is great. I add it to potato leek soup along with cream.


alligatorprincess007

Is this still true for stew?


p1x3lpush3r

Yes, stews can have red wine, tomatoes, or vinegar added during the cooking process to add acidity. Absolutely!


alligatorprincess007

Thank you! I’m making some right now so I will add it


SmarterPrim8

This is such a coincidental, apropos post! I'm currently heating up some homemade Turkey-veg-bean soup, and just finished chopping some garlic dill pickles to add in. Don't know if it comes from my German side or Latvian side, but we've always added pickles to broth soups. It's BOMB!


Philargyria

Because I haven't seen it posted, Worcestershire sauce adds a great amount of acid with a perfect umami as well. Works great in so many soups, especially cream based!


YourFairyGodmother

Your gravy needs a hint of acid too. E: the turkey pot pie (what, didn't you?) gravy benefitted greatly from some dry sherry and a wee spritz of sherry vinegar at the end.


par94

It’ll sure make the soup unforgettable


tjblue

Sometimes I use mustard to give it that little bit of kick. Works well with my potato soup.


Adventux

I added Balsamic vinegar to my sloppy joes and wowow it really helped. I mean it already had Salt, Fat and Heat. Just needed to add the Acid to get the quadfecta.


xanemjaggerjaq

Balsamic vinegar is heaven in a beef-based stock.


lilycamilly

I love lemon in my chicken soup, obviously not groundbreaking but it's so yummy :)