One tablespoon bottled lemon juice = 1/4 teaspoon citric acid
When one is canning something in a boiling water bath, it is vital that that product be high in acid. The reason is that the presence of a concentrated amount of acid is what inhibits botulism spores from germinating into toxin. Many of the fruits we turn into jam are already high enough in acid on their own to be safe for canning, but on occasion we work with items that need some help in the acid department.
Tomatoes are a prime example of a fruit that is needs to be acidified. Depending on the variety of tomato, they can sometimes have a pH (how we judge acid content) that is too high (the pH of the product need to below 4.6) and so that tomato product needs additional acid. Because most home canners aren’t working with a pH meter, it’s recommended that all tomatoes receive additional acid, because it’s impossible to judge acid content based on taste or appearance.
This is why tomato recipes typically call for the addition of either bottled lemon juice or citric acid. Both products deliver a reliable dose of acid that, when added in the recommended amount, ensures that the product is safe for a trip through the boiling water bath canner.
When I write recipes that need acidification, I typically default to bottled lemon juice because I believe it to be a more readily available product (and if you’re curious why it’s bottled lemon juice and not fresh, read this post). However, when I’m making a product that has spent a goodly amount of time cooking down, I will often use citric acid. It comes in powdered form and so doesn’t introduce more liquid that I will then need to reduce.
However, either can be used and they can easily be exchanged one for another. One tablespoon of bottled lemon juice is equal to 1/4 teaspoon citric acid. This means that if a recipe instructs you to add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar before canning, you can easily swap in 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid.
One tablespoon bottled lemon juice = 1/4 teaspoon citric acid
Thanks for this! My hubby reacts to most citrus foods so I frequently use citric acid in the jams I know he will eat. We can’t be the only family out there with food issues. Thanks again.
This is really good to know as I always have citric acid on hand but never lemon juice.
Marisa, would you please provide the weight (in grams) for 1/4 tsp of citric acid? My citric acid is comprised of larger crystals, and experience with different salts (Kosher vs. sea vs. table) has shown me that volume does not necessarily translate to mass.
Thanks for keeping us home canners safe!
I’m away from home at the moment, so I’m not able to measure citric acid at the moment. However, industry standard is simply 1/4 teaspoon for each pint of product. If you’re concerned, use a rounded 1/4 teaspoon.
Does Citric Acid go bad over time? I have a bottle of it in my cubbard that I’ve never used. I don’t even remember why, much less when, I bought it. Just wondering if you know. Thanks.
Thank you!! Tired of draining off lemon juice or cooking way down. Can’t wait for the new season now!
Catching up on the blog, thank you!
1/4 tsp. of citric acid is 1.2 grams
Hello, Is it necessary to stir the citric acid or lemon juice around at all to make sure it’s distributed throughout the jar? The recipes I’ve read say just put it directly in the jar, then pour in the tomatoes (or whatever). And for those of us who are new to canning and a bit paranoid, is there any reason not to just double the amount of citric acid to make it feel extra safe (I guess you would not want to do that with lemon juice)? Does it change the flavor or mess anything up? Thanks!
You don’t need to stir. It’s enough that it is present in the jar. And you really don’t need to double the amount. It will definitely impact the flavor.
Hello Marisa I’m new to canning and have a load of potatoes coming soon but dont have a pressure canner in uk is it possible to use citric acid powder in the cans of potatoes and then to water bath them ?
Thanks Ruth
There is no way to safely can potatoes without a pressure canner. There’s no way to acidify them enough to make them safe.
I canned 7 quarts of tomatoes today and forgot to put lemon juice or citric acid it them. I did add 1 tsp of Ball canning salt. Are they still safe to eat? Thank you for your help!
They are not currently safe. The acid is the thing that prevents botulism spores from germinating into a toxin.
I canned 6 quarts of tomatoes. I used both citric acid 1 teaspoon and also 1 teaspoon of lemon juice is this safe to eat or to much of both.
It’s a lot of citric acid, but it certainly won’t make the tomatoes unsafe to eat. They might be tart, though.
I’ve been canning for years but always learning new things to stay safe, attend canning workshops, etc. I want to know why books/recipes tell you not to use metal utensils that might ?? interact or whatever the word is, with acid in canning products? Stainless steel appears to be okay.
Reactive metals like aluminum and cast iron can react with acid and impart a metallic flavor into your preserves. But I think what you might actually be referencing is the warning not to use metal implements to remove bubbles from jars. The reason for that warning is that metal utensils can leave small scratches on the inside of the jars, making the jars more prone to breakage.
Is it safe to substitute lemon juice for citric acid when its being put directly into the recipe, not the jar? I am following a recipe from NCHFP for tomato paste, and I get the reasoning behind citric acid instead of lemon juice, however I can’t find any in my local stores and I think this batch of tomatoes won’t wait until I get a delivery from Amazon. Trying to decide if its best to just make sauce with these and try paste another time. Thank you so much!
Yes. It’s fine to swap them, even if it’s going into the recipe. Just convert using the same ratio.
What about swapping lime juice for citric acid? Is the conversion the same?
Lemon and lime juice are interchangeable, so the conversion is the same.
I am canning salsa. The recipe calls for apple cider vinegar. Do I substitute the citric acid (Ball brand) directly or do I need to make a solution with water. I have seen conversions for the acidic powder for lemon juice and vinegar, but also conversions with the citric acid mixed in water. I would prefer to use the citric acid powder directly for a thicker salsa. Thank You
You cannot swap citric acid for vinegar. Only citric acid and lemon/lime juice are interchangeable. The thing to do is look for a salsa recipe that uses citrus juice rather than vinegar.
I’m making prickly pear jelly and want to use citric acid. Normally recipe calls for 1/2 cup of lemon juice for every cup of prickly pear juice, which seems like a lot to me ..Anyway, If I have 4 cups of prickly pear juice, how much citric acid would I use?
Is it 8 tsp?
Thank you
That’s what it works out to. But that seems like a huge amount of citric acid.
Hello, thank you for this blog. Really appreciate the info. My question is if I am using citric acid instead of lemon juice, can i just put the citric acid in the pot with the plums and sugar like i would the lemon juice instead of into the individual jars? Thanks again
Yes. It can go right into the pot.
Wine and beer making stores will all have citric acid, Also available on Amazon.
What about when it comes to making goat cheese? Will using lemon juice overpower in flavor?
I can’t speak to that application. This advice is only applicable when it comes to acidifying products for canning in a boiling water bath canner.
I was given potatoes I need to can. I do not have ascorbic acid but I have bottled lemon juice. Can I use the lemon juice in place of the ascorbic acid and if so, will the potatoes be safe for eating?
The ascorbic acid is strictly there to prevent browning so you can swap in lemon juice, as it will do the same thing. The only issue is that you might get a bit of flavor from the lemon juice in the finished potato.
When making my salsa do I need to cook the citric acid in my salsa or put it it in after I’ve cooked it? Or just put it in each jar before processing? I’m new to canning.
You should portion the citric acid into each jar individually.
One of my canning books says the lemon juice should have an acidity of 5%. I’ve looked at numerous brands/bottles of both lemon and lime juice and they don’t give the acidity level. Is it important for the acidity level to be 5%? If it is, how do I know the acidity level of bottled lemon or line juice is 5%? Thanks!
Lemon juice doesn’t need to have a 5% acidity. That only applies to vinegar. As long as it is bottled lemon juice, it should be acidic enough to use. This is a useful article on lemon juice in canning. https://agardenerstable.com/real-lemon-versus-realemon/
I’m going to can roasted tomatoes skin off and water bath can them along with raw poblano or jalapeno or any other pepper. Can I still use the standard half teaspoon per quart ar. Would also like to throw in some fresh cilantro. Is it still the same measurement? Sorry, I’m talking about citric acid. Powdered citric acid. It’s telling me that I have made this comment before. But I never have. I hope you can respond.
Hi Penny. Unfortunately, it’s really not a great idea to invent your own recipe when it comes to canning tomato products. I’d suggest you look at the tomato recipes on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website and see if they have anything along the lines of what you want to do. https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can3_tomato.html
Hi, thanks! My question is, how do I get rid of the citric acid taste? I’ve read “add some sugar or honey” and that helps for certain delicate foods it’s not the best. I have tried soaking in water, rinsing, soaking, rinsing. Any tips?
There’s really no way to get rid of the taste of citric acid. If you don’t like it, I suggest using lemon juice instead.
I put 2TBS and 1tsp salt in a 4 quart jar. Is that enough acidic? Will it be safe?
Wait, you canned a single gallon sized jar? That’s not recommended. Additionally, I have no idea what you were canning.
I bought a bottle of citric acid basically for Canning tomatoes is it safe to use on canning pears? And how much to use per how much water? It’s not on the bottle anywhere.
Do you mean to use it as the acidulating liquid to prevent browning? A teaspoon in a bowl of water should do it. If you plan on using it in the canning liquid, determine how much lemon juice the recipe instructions and convert using the exchange in this blog post.
Do you have any recipes on how to waterbath peaches abd pears please
Here are a couple options.
https://foodinjars.com/recipe/canning-peaches-true-value/
https://foodinjars.com/recipe/honey-cinnamon-pears-from-ball-fresh-preserving-products/
I noticed in a reply to a comment you say citric acid cannot be substituted for vinegar. I’m curious about this. Since lime/lemon juice is significantly more acidic than vinegar, I don’t see why you couldn’t sub some portion of the vinegar with citric acid (using the same ratio for subbing lemon juice) because it would still ensure the ph level is at least as low as it would be with the vinegar to prevent botulism. Even recipes that call for vinegar often say you can sub the vinegar for lemon/lime juice (but not vice versa) and if you can sub lemon juice then it follows you can sub citric acid.
Okay. It’s not so much that it can’t be done, but there’s not a tested, commonly used exchange.
I want to can pizza sauce that I make from store bought canned tomato sauce and canned tomato paste. I need to can it in 4 oz jars since that is enough for one pizza. Do I still add 1/4 tsp citric acid, or is that cut down because it’s a smaller amount in a smaller jar? The only info I’ve been able to find is for pint and quart jars.
You can reduce the citric acid to 1/8 teaspoon if you’re canning in a smaller jar. I wouldn’t go less than that, though.
Thanks you so much for the reply. I thought it might be as simple as cutting the citric acid to 1/8 tsp for a 4 oz jar of pizza sauce, but I wanted to be sure that was a safe amount. It sure helps to be able to ask questions!
Glad to help!
How do I use citric acid to keep bananas from browing? Do I mix it into water, then swish around the slices? Or should I use lemon juice?
I don’t typically use it for that application, so I don’t really have any advice!
I am canning blueberry syrup. The recipe calls for lemon juice. Can I use citric acid instead? I didn’t know if it would change to taste.
You won’t get any lemon flavor from citric acid, just an added layer of tartness. But there’s no safety reason why you can’t do it.
We are working on some new items and came across your post. What would you recommend per gallon to use a bottle lemon juice as a replacement of citric acid?1/2 cup?
One tablespoon of lemon juice properly acidifies one pint of product. There are eight pints in a gallon, so that’s eight tablespoons, which is 1/2 cup. I agree with your math.
To clarify, can you give your ratio of bottled lemon juice (at whatever acid concentration) to powedered citic acid … in grams please.
I’m so sorry, but I’m not equipped to make those measurements for you at this time.
This question isn’t about substituting but years ago I lived in a small town and the women there added something to sweet corn when canning it. I don’t remember what it was or if it was to keep it from getting dark or to raise the acidity. Has anyone heard of this?
They probably added either citric or ascorbic acid to keep it from darkening.
I’m canning spaghetti sauce. I’m going to use citric acid. Will it affect the taste? Thank you
It shouldn’t make a huge difference in flavor.
Any thoughts on why Ball Citric Acid is not available at either Walmart.com or Amazon?
Just find it odd.
Thanks
I really don’t know. I don’t have any relationship with Ball these days, so I have no insight. The only thing I do know is that they were bought by the company that owns Rubbermaid and so have switched their focus from canning products to the container aspect of the jars. So that might be contributing to the issue.