Citric Acid - Uses?

Citric Acid is also known as C6H8O7



I have not utilized citric acid before, but I have seen a few posts mentioning it in passing.

What uses have you found citric acid to be good for? Where do you source it from?

I have heard of citric acid being used as a descaler in cleaning things such as coffee pots. Has anyone tested its effectiveness?

I have also heard that a solution of citric acid may be useful in food preservation?

I would advise against using it as a food preservative, as 99% of the manufactured stuff is actually made from black mold.
Maybe use it as a cleaner, but I'd recommend avoiding it altogether unless you know it's been derived from real citrus.

Reference:  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6097542/

Highlights
•Citric acid as a food additive is not natural citric acid; it is manufactured through fermentation using Aspergillus niger.
•Aspergillus niger is a potent allergen.
•Food additive manufactured citric acid may be causing allergic inflammatory cascades.
•Manufactured citric acid may be contributing to the inflammation seen in asthma, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, autistic spectrum disorder, and fibromyalgia.
•The safety of manufactured citric acid has never been studied since it was granted GRAS status.

Although many of these additives will come from laboratory purification and derived from several sources, I do have preparations (food grade) of citric acid, malic acid, and lactic acid that I use in the preparation of certain foods, mostly vegan.  I use lactic acid when trying to get a tangy flavor that most resembles cheese or sour cream.....when combined with nutritional yeast especially.  Citric acid I will use when I want the citrus tartness without the actual flavor of lemon or lime.  Malic acid was a more recent addition and is a major tart flavor found in green apples.  I will use that occasionally to deepen the flavor of apple crisp or apple sauce in those cases where the apples naturally were a bit more bland or just getting old.  All of these acids, including standard vinegar, can be used as well to promote coagulation or precipitation of dairy and non-dairy milk items, aiding in the texturing towards custards, sour cream/cream cheese, or yogurt.

I have changed from using harsher acids for taking flux off of silver soldered Jewelry pieces in my pickling pot. Citric acid and baking soda for a scouring powder. citric acid and salt for removing tarnish on copper and brass.

Interesting about the origination of citric acid powder.

I had bought a package off Amazon so now I will do some research to see how I want to used it...

i use it when wet tumbling pistol and rifle brass. Makes them come out shinier than when new! Only takes one drink bottle cap full to 5 gallons of water.

My experience of citric acid as a descaler for instant hot water boilers was pretty meh. Stronger stuff like formic and phosphoric were better.

Although mechanically cleaning is far quicker than trying to dissolve it for most of the buildup.