Citric acid

Citric acid is an organic tricarboxylic acid which is present in most of the fruits, especially in citrus, such as the lemon and the orange.

It is a good preservative and a natural antioxidant that is added industrially in the packaging process of plenty of foods, like canned vegetable preserves.

In cuisine, it has different uses:

• Give a touch of acidity to the dish with a pleasant citrus flavour.
• Combined with bicarbonate, it can produce effervescence. 
• Curdle milk to make fresh cheese. 
• Added in small quantities to a bread dough, it facilitates fermentation and makes fluffier breads. 
• It is a powerful antioxidant that avoids the rusting of fruits and vegetables after cutting them and exposing them to the environment. 
• In general, it is an especially effective preservative for preserved products and pickles. 
• When added to meat, it can soften it.