Citric acid is a strong acid that is used in many foods and beverages. It has a sour taste, and it can be found naturally in citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges. Citric acid is also produced commercially from citrus fruits.
Citric acid occurs naturally in fruits like lemons and limes, but can also be produced in large quantities through industrial processes. The chemical formula for citric acid is C6H8O7, which means it contains six carbon atoms, eight hydrogen atoms and seven oxygen atoms. Citric acids have a molecular weight of 176 grams per mole (g/mol) or 176 daltons (Da).
Citric acid was first isolated by French chemist Louis François Joseph Gay-Lussac in 1820 when he dissolved potassium bitartrate (potassium salt of tartaric acid) with sulfuric acid to produce crystals that were not soluble in water or alcohol but were soluble in ether. This substance was named “citrate” because it had been found in lemons.
There are many fruits that contain a lot of citric acid. The most well-known citric fruit is the lemon. The lemon and other citrus fruits contain about 4 grams of citric acid per 100g of fruit.
Other fruits that are high in citric acid include:
Cantaloupe (1.5 grams)
Watermelon (2 grams)
Grapefruit (1 gram)
Orange (1 gram)
Mango (0.5 grams)
The citric acid in fruits is a good source of antioxidants and vitamin C. Here are some fruits with a lot of citric acid:
Citrus fruits are the best sources of citric acid, but other fruits have it too. Fruits with a lot of citric acid include:
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Grapefruit
Kumquats
Pomelo (a large citrus fruit)
Citric acid is a natural organic compound, and it is found in many fruits and vegetables.
The most common citric acid sources are lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit.
Fruits with citric acid:
Lemon is one of the best sources of citric acid. One lemon contains about 4 grams of this compound.
Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits also contain a lot of citric acid.
Grapefruit contains about twice as much citric acid as lemons or limes. The amount of citric acid in bananas is negligible as compared to these fruits.
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It has a sour taste and it’s one of the main organic acids found in citrus fruits.
The citric acid in citrus fruits comes from carotenoids and chlorogenic acid, which are naturally occurring compounds. It’s also produced by some bacteria and fungi.
Citric acid is used as an ingredient in many foods, including soft drinks (e.g., lemonade), candies, breakfast cereals and other processed foods. In its pure form, it can be used as a preservative for jams and jellies because it prevents spoilage caused by mold growth.
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It has the chemical formula C6H8O7 and its molecular weight is 192.12 g/mol. Citric acid exists in greater than trace amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables, where it is produced from glucose by many species of bacteria, fungi, and other organisms (e.g., certain protozoa).[1] Citric acid was isolated for the first time by Italian chemist Cesare Carlo Guglielmi in 1784.[2][3] He boiled juice of sour orange and lemon in water, and then added alkali to the boiled solution. The resulting crystals were filtered out, washed with alcohol, and dissolved in hot water until all salt was removed.
Citric acid is miscible with water, methanol and ethanol. It is also soluble in chloroform. Its solubility decreases with increasing temperature.[4]
Citric acid is useful as a food additive because it imparts a tart flavor to foods and drinks.[5] In biochemistry, it acts as an intermediate in cell respiration pathways,[6] such as glycolysis
All fruits have citric acid. Citric acid is an organic compound found in most fruits and vegetables that produces a tangy flavor and is used to preserve food. It is also used as a preservative in many commercial products, such as body washes and shampoos.
Citric acid is present in all fruits, but some have more than others. Lemons contain the highest amount of citric acid (up to 10 percent by weight), followed by limes (up to 7 percent). The next most acidic fruits are grapefruits and oranges, which contain 1-3 percent citric acid, followed by strawberries at 0.5 percent and raspberries at 0.2 percent. Apples, pears and blueberries have 0.1-0.8 percent citric acid content while grapes are right at the bottom with only 0.05-0.3 percent citric acid content per fruit
Citric acid is a weak organic acid that occurs naturally in the juice of many fruits. It is also produced commercially from corn sugar. Citric acid is widely used in foods and beverages as a souring agent and preservative.
In general, citrus fruit contains more citric acid than other fruits.
The following table lists some common fruit and their citric acid content in milligrams per 100 grams (3.5 oz) of fresh weight:
citrus fruit refrigerator grapefruit (1/2)
clementine mandarin oranges
grapefruit juice
orange juice (unsweetened)
tangerines**
Citric acid is found in many fruits, including oranges, lemons and limes.
In addition to the citrus fruits mentioned above, other fruits that contain citric acid include:
Blackberries
Raspberries
Strawberries
Lemons and limes are both varieties of citrus fruit. They are not related botanically, but they are closely related genetically and share many characteristics. Both have a thin skin, a juicy texture and a strong aroma when squeezed. These similarities make them interchangeable in recipes for beverages such as lemonade or limeade. However, their tastes are very different. Lemons are much more tart than limes.
Citric acid is a weak organic acid that is colorless, odorless and soluble in water. It is used as an acidulant, as a flavoring and chelating agent.
Citric acid is found in many fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges. Other sources include raspberries, strawberries, rhubarb, avocados and papayas.
The most common form of citric acid is calcium citrate. Citrate salts are also used as anticoagulants in blood plasma products such as IV solutions.
Citric acid has many uses in food processing:
It acts as a preservative by controlling the growth of bacteria that cause spoilage; it also inhibits mold growth.
It’s often added to jams to prevent them from spoiling after they’re opened.
It prevents sugar syrups from crystallizing when they are cooked with fruit juices or sugar cane juice (such as molasses).
It helps reduce browning when sliced fruits are exposed to air during canning processes by inhibiting oxidation reactions that lead to discoloration of the cut surfaces of fruits like apples and pears; this also extends shelf life for these products which.
Citric acid is one of the most common food additives in the world. It’s found in citrus fruits, especially lemons and limes, but also in grapefruit, oranges and other fruits. Citric acid can also be made synthetically.
Citric acid is a weak organic acid that occurs naturally in citrus fruits. It’s used as a flavoring agent or preservative in beverages and candies, as well as being an important component of vitamins C and B-12.
In addition to its use as a food additive, citric acid is also an important chemical intermediate used to prepare other chemicals such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid), sodium citrate (a buffer), citric acid monohydrate (an antioxidant) and many other organic compounds needed for pharmaceuticals production.