Can I substitute Citric Acid or Ascorbic Acid for the lemon or lime juice or vinegar called for in a Pomona’s recipe? (2024)

FAQs

Can I substitute Citric Acid or Ascorbic Acid for the lemon or lime juice or vinegar called for in a Pomona’s recipe? ›

Ascorbic Acid cannot be substituted for lemon or lime juice or vinegar in a Pomona's recipe. It is simply Vitamin C powder. It will not lower the pH of the fruit. It is commonly used to prevent browning in cut fresh fruit or fruit that will be canned.

In short, the answer is no. Those two are often confused because of their similar sources of origin. They do share several similarities but also have quite a few fundamental differences. Citric acid is an acidic antioxidant, and vitamin C is ascorbic acid.

Substitute for Ascorbic acid In some cases, some recipes you can substitute citric acid for ascorbic acid.

You can replace citric acid with white vinegar or lemon juice. Use around 1/3rd of a cup of white vinegar, or around 1/3rd of a cup of lemon juice. You will get a mild to moderate flavor of the substitute acidifying agent.

Vinegar is mild like citric acid, and gives a similar sour flavor. To use as a substitute, start by tripling the amount of vinegar for citric acid in the recipe, and add more to taste. The reason for this is that vinegar is a much weaker acid than citric acid, so you need more to get the same effect.

Ascorbic Acid cannot be substituted for lemon or lime juice or vinegar in a Pomona's recipe. It is simply Vitamin C powder. It will not lower the pH of the fruit. It is commonly used to prevent browning in cut fresh fruit or fruit that will be canned.

Citric acid powder or lemon juice can be used as a pretreatment but neither is as effective as ascorbic acid in preventing discoloration of fruit before canning. Add 1 teaspoon of citric acid (U.S.P. grade) or ¾ cup lemon juice to 1 gallon water. Drain fruit before canning.

One teaspoon (5 grams) of citric acid is equal in acidity to about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of lemon juice. Thus, only a very small amount is required, and you'll need to make recipe adjustments.

Add 28.5 g (1.01 oz) of calcium chloride to 70 ml (0.30 c) of distilled water. Do this in a separate beaker from your lemon juice solution. Mix the two together in a small beaker, and stir it until all of the calcium chloride has been dissolved. Combine both solutions and bring the mixture to a boil.

The difference between citric acid and lemon juice is that citric acid is a concentrated acid compound, while lemon juice contains citric acid, water, vitamin C, and other molecules. Lemon juice also has nutritional value, but citric acid contains no nutrients and very few calories.

When not to use citric acid? ›

Use on Delicate Surfaces

Citric acid has corrosive properties and should not be used on natural stone or marble.

Fabrizio Zago's* studies on both products when using washing-machine showed that acetic acid (vinegar) is more aggressive and corrosive than citric acid when it comes in contact with nickel and other metal. In fact, the wastewater of a wash using acetic acid carries more metals than the one using citric acid.

Look for citric acid at your local supermarket.

It is often located near the pectin and other canning ingredients and materials. Look for citric acid under the name sour salt in the kosher section or in the spice aisle.

It's very easy to use: just drop two tablespoons of citric acid into the toilet, let it work its magic for about 20 minutes, scrub with a brush and then flush. Not only does it remove limescale, it also gives the toilet a pleasantly fresh scent.

Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and rice vinegar can all be substituted at a ½:1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then, sub 1 tablespoon vinegar and replace the rest with water if needed. Usually you won't need to add any extra liquid but it depends on the recipe.

Citric acid enhances the bioavailability of minerals, allowing your body to better absorb them (12, 13 , 14 ). For example, calcium citrate doesn't require stomach acid for absorption. It also has fewer side effects — such as gas, bloating, or constipation — than another form called calcium carbonate ( 15 , 16 ).

Vitamin C is generally considered safe because your body gets rid of what it does not use. But at high doses (more than 2,000 mg daily) it can cause diarrhea, gas, or stomach upset. If you experience these side effects, lower the dose of vitamin C.

Ascorbic acid is a human-made isolate used in myriad processed supplements that was created to cost-effectively mimic and replace naturally-occurring vitamin C found in natural food. It's often derived from GMO corn starch, GMO corn sugar or rice starch.

Lemons and limes also contain ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, an essential nutrient you need in your diet, and malic acid. Citric acid is a weak organic acid,citric acid is not a necessary part of the human diet, but it may have a role to play in your health.