Can I used lemon juice in place of ascorbic acid in canning peaches?

Went to can my peaches and it's seven miles to the store....can I used lemon juice in place of ascorbic acid?
Best Answer
No, you should never make substitutions in canning recipes.
You are right that the ascorbic acid is in there for preservation rather than taste. But the problem is that with a lemon, you can't controll how much acid ends up in your peaches. Some lemons will contain more grams of acid per ml of juice than others, and in any case, you'll need really large amounts of the juice, to the point where you'll have a very pronounced lemon taste.
Don't forget that the pH scale is logarithmic, so a peach preserve at ph of 3.5 will have several times more acid than a preserve at a pH of 4.0. And botulism bacteria which will die at home canning temperatures in a pH 4.0 medium can survive at pH 3.5. So adding some juice and hoping that it will be enough is a very dangerous strategy.
If you are making a small amount of preserve only, you can consider keeping it in the fridge and consuming it within a week, instead of canning it with acid.
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Quick Answer about "Can I used lemon juice in place of ascorbic acid in canning peaches?"
Citric acid powder or lemon juice can be used as a pretreatment but neither is as effective as ascorbic acid in preventing discoloration of fruit before canning. Add 1 teaspoon of citric acid (U.S.P. grade) or ¾ cup lemon juice to 1 gallon water. Drain fruit before canning.Can you substitute lemon juice for ascorbic acid?
Ascorbic Acid cannot be substituted for lemon or lime juice or vinegar in a Pomona's recipe. It is simply Vitamin C powder. It will not lower the pH of the fruit. It is commonly used to prevent browning in cut fresh fruit or fruit that will be canned.Can I use lemon juice instead of citric acid?
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. Sharing is caring!Do I need ascorbic acid to can peaches?
Canning Peaches To maintain optimum color and flavor of your peaches, it is recommended that you use an ascorbic acid solution of 3 grams ascorbic acid to 1 gallon of water as a pre- treatment before filling jars.What can I use in place of citric acid for canning?
Here are four of them in case you're ever stuck needing one.- Lemon Juice. This is found in many households, and is a great substitute for citric acid. ...
- Tartaric Acid. Tartaric acid comes in as a second choice if you don't have lemon juice. ...
- White Distilled Vinegar. ...
- Ascorbic Acid/Vitamin C.
How to Can Peaches: Step by Step
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