Citrus fruits have a fresh, tart taste that can balance out the sweetness in a recipe. If your dish is too sweet, squeeze in a little fresh juice to counter the excess sugar. It’s best to start with just a small amount, such as a teaspoon, so you don’t run the risk of making the food too tart instead of too sweet.Lemon or lime juice works best when you want to balance a savory recipe that’s overly sweet.
It’s a good idea to squeeze your citrus fruit into a cup or bowl instead of directly into the pot or pan. That way, you won’t accidentally let any seeds or pulp fall into your food.
If citrus juice is too liquidy to add to your dish, lemon or lime zest can also add some tartness.
 Like citrus fruits, vinegar is an acidic ingredient that can add tartness to a dish to help balance the sweetness. However, unlike fruits which can go bad quickly, you can keep a bottle of vinegar in your pantry for years, so you’ll always have it on hand if you add too much sugar to a dish. Start with just a splash or teaspoon and taste, so you can ensure that the recipe is balanced. You can always add more if necessary.Virtually any vinegar can help correct food that’s too sweet, but white, red wine, white wine, and apple cider usually work the best.
 Adding a splash or teaspoon of wine to your recipe to balance the sweetness is similar to stirring in some vinegar because both are acidic and alcohol-based. However, wine has a higher alcohol content, so if you don’t want alcohol in your dish, bring the food to a boil to evaporate the alcohol.You can use cooking wine to help counter excess sweetness, but any wine that you would drink will work just as well.
Stir in citrus juice.
Add vinegar.
Mix in wine.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Balance Sweetness3"}