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What is Citric Acid Used For? Discover Its Uses and Benefits

Authored by
Elchemy
Published On
28th Dec 2024
7 minutes read
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At a Glance: Citric acid has wide applications as a flavouring, preservative, and cleaning agent. It can be used for health benefits such as preventing kidney stones; this compound is available in powder, liquid, and natural extracts, giving it wide use ranges from culinary to personal care. Being an antioxidant, Citric acid helps in the enhancement of immunity. Additionally, it helps in digestion. You can easily procure citric acid substitutes in health stores, supermarkets, and online retailers. If you’re looking for a substitute for citric acid, the following may be used in cooking, cleaning, and many other applications: lemon juice, vinegar, and tartaric acid.

What is Citric Acid?

Citric acid is a weak organic acid with the chemical formula C₆H₈O₇. It is naturally found in citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, and oranges. It is highly characteristic of a sharp, tangy flavour, and its use in products in foods and drinks is widespread to enhance flavour and support freshness. Though it is most commonly used with food products, the applications of citric acid range in cleaning, personal care, and health-related areas.

Citric acid is a naturally occurring compound mainly derived from citrus fruits like lemons and oranges. It has a variety of uses, both in food and health benefits and cleaning. Citric acid is an essential ingredient in all sectors of life, from improving food recipes to cleaning home naturally to being an excellent enhancer for health. Read on to learn the many uses of citric acid and how to better your lifestyle.

What is Citric Acid Used For?

Citric acid is used to manufacture acidified foods at home, for example, making lemonade or candy sour, where its flavour improves the tautness and relish of a product. Some of the primary uses are:

  1. For Food and Beverages 

Citric acid is very versatile in the food industry as well as in other applications, such as:

  • Flavoring Agent: It brings in a sweet-tart taste along with refreshing notes to drinks and snacks.
  • Preservative: Its antioxidant activity prevents spoilage by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria and mould; hence, it is seen in most canned and processed foods.
  • Acidifier: Citric acid controls food acidity so that it remains stable, such as in sodas, where it gives a sharp taste and in jams and jellies, where it helps them to set correctly, among others.
  1. In Household Cleaning

Citric acid is a potent cleaning agent and thus provides an all-natural, non-toxic alternative for many of our household cleaning tasks. Included among these applications are:

  • Descaling: Citric acid can chelate the minerals from kettles, dishwashers, and coffee makers. All it takes is to dissolve citric acid in water and then run a cycle to clear mineral deposits.
  • General Cleaner: When applied in water, citric acid is an excellent general cleaner for countertops and sinks, as well as for windows and other surfaces. This stuff leaves fresh and streak-free finishes.
  • Deodorizer: Citric acid and odour-neutralizer are ideal for use in bathrooms, refrigerators, and waste bins​.
  1. As a Natural Health Tonic

Although citric acid is generally viewed in products when it is food or cleaning, it comes with immense health benefits:

  • Prevention of Kidney Stones: Citric acid prevents kidney stones by elevating urinary citrate levels and stopping calcium-based stones’ formation​.
  • Improves Mineral Absorption: Citric acid enhances the absorption of critical minerals such as calcium and magnesium, ensuring they are well utilized for improved bone health.​
  • Antioxidant Protection: Citric acid has antioxidant activity, which helps protect your body against the damage inflicted by free radicals, which are implicated in aging and chronic diseases.
  1. In Cosmetic and Personal Care Products

Citric acid appears in skin care products because it balances pH levels in the skin and provides mild exfoliation. Its functions include:

  • Exfoliation: Citric acid enables the shedding of dead skin; hence, it is commonly used in facial masks, scrubs, and peels​.
  • Brightening Skin: By promoting new skin cells, it lightens dark spots and evens out skin tone.

Citric Acid in Canning and Preserving

While answering what is citric acid used for, it is important to acknowledge that citric acid contributes significantly to home canning as well as food preservation. It is also used to acidify tomatoes, which have a higher pH and are thus more likely to germinate with bacteria during storage if processed inadequately. Bacteria such as those that cause botulism by Clostridium botulinum thrive in low-acid conditions. Therefore, control of the pH level of canned foods represents a necessary step to ensure safety. Since citric acid lowers the pH of the food to a more acidic state, it will be hostile to harmful microorganisms.

Citric acid, besides being used in tomatoes, is also widely used in fruit and vegetable canning and pickles, as such foods don’t have enough natural acidity to avoid spoilage. It is also a key component for preserving the colour, flavour, and texture of fruits such as peaches and apples that can change colour, soften, and become mushy during the canning process if not acidified. Citric acid can be added to jars immediately before they are sealed, usually in amounts stated in canning recipes, to help ensure consistent and safe results.

Using citric acid ensures that the food remains safe and of good quality during the entire process of canning, which also provides the extension of shelf life without refrigeration. With any canning method, recommended guidelines must be followed to ensure safety and success in preserving your harvest.

Citric Acid Substitute

Citric acid is commonly used in cooking, cleaning, and many other such processes because of its acidity and preservative qualities. However, there could be situations where you require a replacement for citric acid because the product is unavailable or the particular recipe does require its use. Here are a few practical alternatives:

  • Lemon Juice: One of the best natural alternatives to citric acid substitute is lemon juice, with citric acid content at a high rate. It is effective for recipes that require an acidic taste, like salad dressings, marinades, or baking. Typically, one teaspoon of citric acid can be substituted by one tablespoon of lemon juice.
  • Vinegar: White or apple cider vinegar is also a readily available substitution for citric acid. Its ability to impart a sour or tart flavour is handy in cooking and housekeeping. Like its counterpart, vinegar adds a sour taste to recipes and, more importantly, to housekeeping because it neutralizes odours and removes stains.
  • Tartaric Acid: This is naturally found in grapes. It may occasionally be used in baking applications as a replacement for citric acid. What it is particularly very useful for, though, is making certain sorts of candies or confections that require the sour component. Though not nearly as highly tart as citric acid, it does indeed provide a piquant acidic bite which keeps the sweets in perspective to any recipe.

Where Do You Buy Citric Acid?

Citric acid is one such product that is readily available in different online or physical stores. The citric acid substitute in supermarkets can be located mainly in the baking or canning section. This is the most reliable ingredient used for food preservation, flavour enhancement, or even in recipes such as candies and jams. 

One of the places to buy citric acid is in health and wellness stores since it is even marketed sometimes, claiming that it is beneficial for health, like detoxifying the body, promoting digestive health, and becoming part of natural beauty products. 

If you’re wondering where you buy citric acid in bulk, Elchemy can be the go-to answer for the question. 

Conclusion

Hope this blog comprehensively answered what is citric acid used for. As an elementary ingredient, it is packed with much energy. Though it seems to have a wider area of applications, it is the best commodity in homes and offices. It’s a kitchen; food’s taste is changed using it, acting as a natural preservative or tangy zest in a variety of dishes-from beverages to baked goods. Citric acid substitute could serve as an alternative green chemical for cleaning inside the house: it dissolves mineral deposits, removes stains, and disinfects surfaces. In health and wellness routines, it is widely used-from its natural exfoliating effect in skincare products to balance pH levels in the body.

Elchemy will be your trusted partner for good-quality citric acid, whether you will use it for health preparations, skincare, or cleaning solutions. Pop by and find out how this citric acid challenges your routine.

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