Balance The Sugary Taste Of Mashed Sweet Potatoes With A Splash Of Vinegar

Mashed sweet potatoes are an easy way to use an abundance of root vegetables in a delicious, comforting way. But the sugary taste of sweet potatoes can quickly overpower the dish and leave you with something that leans more towards a dessert than a dinner side. Luckily, balancing the flavors is easier than you think; oftentimes all you need is vinegar to bring the dish together without sacrificing the comforting, sweetness that makes sweet potatoes so great.

You only need a tablespoon or two of vinegar. Vinegar is acidic, so it helps create more well-rounded mashed sweet potatoes. Vinegar is great for bringing out different flavors in your meals and can cut through bitterness and saltiness as well. A bit of vinegar can give your sweet potatoes a zesty tang that offers a more complex dish. You can choose how much vinegar you'd like to add based on how much of the sweetness you want to reign in. If you're looking to remove just a tiny amount of sweetness, a splash of vinegar will do. It's important to taste as you cook so you don't add too much.

Since you're adding a small amount, you can get the same sweetness-minimizing effect no matter what kind of vinegar you use. Each type of vinegar will bring different flavor essences that can create surprising and delicious combinations. You'd be just fine using plain, white vinegar and wouldn't need a lot. But if you want to customize your dish, consider using vinegar with a little more personality. The more common vinegar choices for this dish would be apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar. Both of these options have a hint of their own sweetness that will bring out the flavor of the sweet potato without the overpowering sugary taste.

If you're looking to experiment with your vinegar option, you may want to try champagne vinegar or rice vinegar, both of which are fairly mild. Champagne vinegar has a delicate tanginess and light floral taste that pairs well with the earthiness of sweet potatoes. Champagne vinegar is a good choice if you're worried about vinegar overpowering your dish. Rice vinegar, meanwhile, is slightly sweet with a prominent sour note.