Put It in Neutral

• The pungent acidity of vinegar is its principle culinary virtue, but it also provides a clear example of how easy it is to have too much of a good thing. If you've mistakenly added too much vinegar, or substituted a strong vinegar for a mild one, the flavor of your sauce will be much the worse for it. Fortunately, you can take advantage of the vinegar's acidity to neutralize it. Add baking soda to your sauce, just a tiny pinch at a time, and stir it in. It will fizz briefly but vigorously in your sauce, neutralizing a portion of the vinegar's acidity. Taste the sauce, and repeat the process as necessary -- always with a tiny amount of soda -- until its flavor is balanced.

Sweet Talking

• Many classic sauces walk a fine line, balancing vinegar against sweet ingredients, such as fruit, honey or sugar, to create a harmonious and refreshing combination. If you're making that type of sauce and it skews too far in the direction of acidity, you can counter that by increasing the sweetness. Add more of the original sweet ingredient, if that's a practical option, or use a sweetener such as quick-dissolving extra fine sugar or neutral-tasting agave syrup. Be restrained, because if you overdo it and make your sauce overly sweet, you won't be any further ahead.

Turn Up the Heat

• If it's appropriate for the dish you're making, the heat of chilies, black pepper and other pungent spices can provide a potent counterpoint to a vinegar-based sauce. The two sharp flavors compete for attention at your brain's flavor receptors, each blunting the impact of the other. It's a principle enshrined in ethnic dishes, such as Chinese hot-and-sour soup and India's eye-watering vindaloos, which employ the combination of vinegar and chilies to memorable effect. You can't do this in every dish, but when it's applicable, it's a good strategy.

Divide and Conquer

• The ultimate cure for a vinegary sauce is to throw it out and start over, but if you're reluctant to do that, there's a middle ground. If time permits, start a second batch of the same sauce and leave out the vinegar. Once the second batch is finished, combine the two and taste it. Add more vinegar, if necessary, and adjust the seasonings, then divide your sauce in half. Cool and freeze the second portion, and it will be ready for use the next time you make the same dish.