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Citric Acid - Uses?

 
Timothy Norton
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Citric Acid is also known as C6H8O7

(source)


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?

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Timothy Norton
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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?

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Pete Podurgiel
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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.

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John Weiland
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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.

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Robert Ray
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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.

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Anne Miller
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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...




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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.

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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.

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I use a citric acid and salt mix to remove surface rust on my weaving reeds after they have been standing a while - though I use a lemon straight from the tree to provide the citric acid.
My husband swears by a squeeze of lemon juice if the yeast is being a bit slow in the home brew, though the Internet appears divided on the subject.

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Jane Mulberry
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It's the best thing I've found for removing limescale in the flush toilet.

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Jane Mulberry wrote:It's the best thing I've found for removing limescale in the flush toilet.



Ditto!

A few years back I asked for absorbic acid at the health food store and they sold me citric acid ! Scam artists in lab coats !

I still have most of it (and Amazon'd the absorbic acid) and find it is a useful way to dispose of the citric acid. I have very hard water with lots of iron too. Works better than CLR.
There's a compost toilet as well, but the toilet usually gets dish water and once there's enough build-up, a heaping spoonful does the trick: let it sit a while.
 
Robert Neville
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A weak solution of the food grade is great for rinsing sprouts to keep them fresh while growing.
 
Lynne Cim
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I use food grade citric acid and baking soda to extend dishwasher detergent. I pour 1/3 of each in a jar and shake it. Works great. I bought a big bag of it once for something, now don't remember for what - maybe bath bombs?  I also use a small pinch in guacamole so it does not turn brown if we don't eat it all and have to refrigerate some. Should I not be using it for any of these uses I now wonder??

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Nathan McCormick
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I use it for cooking as I dislike vinegar.

I use it for coffee descaler.

I use it for dishwasher rinse aid.

I use it for science experiments with kids.

I use it to neutralize after soda blasting wood when refinishing.


I have a degree in biotech, so I don't mind that it was refined from fungus. A. Niger is a model organism. I just got a 5lb bag on Amazon for $20... I expect it will last me a decade at least.
 
Sandy Stacey
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I used citric acid today when I canned wild blueberry pie filling. Citric acid subs for lemon juice  when canning but it leaves no taste behind. One tablespoon of bottled lemon juice is equal to 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid. I really like to use citric acid when I freeze dry apple slices and canning apple products. It doesn't leave that funny taste on apple products. Yes it's food grade and I buy it from Amazon. Made in the USA.
 
Su Ba
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This won’t apply to most folks out there, but here in Hawaii it’s one of sprays that people will use to help keep down the population of coqui frogs. It is sold in the 50 pound bags in the stores here.

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Nicole Alderman
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Jane Mulberry wrote:It's the best thing I've found for removing limescale in the flush toilet.



I don't have limescale in my toilet, but I've been using it as a toilet bowl cleaner ever since I read Erica Straus's Hands-On Home. It is a fantastic book (my review here on permies[/url. [url=https://permies.com/t/50761/Erica-Strauss-author-Hands-Home]She also did a permies book giveaway]). I LOVE her chapter on natural cleaners. She mentions that acidic cleaner (like vinegar and citric acid) are best for inorganic "dirt" (calcium build up, dirt stains, mineral-build-up, etc), while the alkaline cleaners (like baking soda and soap) are better for organic messes (baked on food, food stains, etc). The stronger the acid (or base) the thing is, the better it will do at it's job (and the more dangerous it is). Citric acid is more acidic than vinegar, so it does a better job at those inorganic messes. It's also gritty, which helps as a natural adhesive.

A bit off subject, but you can use cabbage as a PH indicator. It's a fun experiment, especially with kids.

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Cécile Stelzer Johnson
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It bothers me that it was grandfathered in without a study. I couldn't hurt to go back and review how it came to be used in so many products, especially that we have so many more allergies and respiratory / inflammation problems in the gut than we used to.
I guess it would be interesting to figure out how much of this Aspergilla Niger is left in the Manufactured Citric Acid.

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Jane Mulberry wrote:It's the best thing I've found for removing limescale in the flush toilet.



Came here to say this!

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Tereza Okava
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if I understand correctly, the well-loved and rather highly touted product known as Barkeepers Friend is just citric acid. I keep some around for cleaning.
 
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