I read that tomatoes are often not picked in the optimal ripeness for canning and because of this, citric acid is added to promote further ripening within the can.
I purchase bottled pasta sauce and canned tomato sauce and sometimes have a reaction from too much acid content.
Tomatoes are acidic enough without having to add acid to the product, in my opinion. Is there any brand of tomato sauce that does not add citric acid? Is there a brand of pasta sauce that does not include it?
I try to mitigate the acid by grating celery into the sauce and simmering for a while. Celery is a very alkaline vegetable and is often used in creating gravies.
I am also considering some Italian friends who say our jarred sauces are too spicy. I think perhaps the extra garlic, etc, is added to cover the acidic taste.
Best Answer
Citric acid in canned goods is just a preservative, nothing to do with "ripening in the can" as far as I know.
As you've noticed, it's plenty common in storebought canned food, but it's especially useful in homemade canned food. It keeps canned vegetables from darkening/browning over time, and can be used to make them acidic enough to avoid worries about botulism and spoilage. (Other things like ascorbic acid can also be used to keep colors bright.)
If it's really a problem, you may be able to find canned tomatoes without it, most likely more expensive ones from brands that want to be able to have the ingredient label just say "tomatoes", perhaps organic tomatoes. You might also just try different brands even if they do contain citric acid; some of them might be more to your tastes.
But the acidity shouldn't be that strong, so it's quite likely that just a little bit of sugar will cover it up, and as a bonus it'll tend to enhance your perception of the tomato flavor too.
As for spiciness of jarred sauces... well, some are spicy, some aren't. It's just about making flavors to suit all tastes. Pick one you like!