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Acid Blend - citric, malic, tartaric
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Posted by nancedar z7 NCWakeForest (My Page) on Thu, Mar 26, 09 at 1:08
| ksrogers has espoused the use of this mixture (found at wine making shops) for adding the tang to jellies and jams. He said he uses a premixed 1:3 ratio, but some wine making on-line sites offer their acid blend at 2:1:1 (50%, 25%, 25%).
Shopping at an new-to-me organic gardening supply place that also carries wine making supplies had the three food-grade acids in separate containers. So I snapped them up intending to do some testing this season on low sugar or Splenda fruit jams with Pomona. Now my quandary is that if I mix it myself - is it measured by volume or weight? The malic is about twice the volume as the same weight of the other two acids. So, Ken, what do you think is the right proportion to mix my own? I will be testing the pH of the finished jam to ensure a low enough pH anyway since there will not be enough or no sugar to safely preserve the fruits as would it be if I were using the 1:1 3/4 ratio as normal recipes for high sugar jams.
I do recall Ken saying that he uses only 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per batch of jelly/jam which is not a very large amount of added acid overall but has a "better and livelier fruit flavor". I wonder how the pH of the finished high sugar jams compares to the acid blend jams?
Nancy |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Acid Blend - citric, malic, tartaric
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| The weight is the most accurate way to measure and mix ratio. Here, the three acid types granular size were all the same and you wouldn't be able to easily identify each by itself until it was tasted. Use caution if tasting as it is very tart. The 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon per batch is quite small and thats only if you want to bring up the sourness (and character) very slightly. You can add as much as you prefer, but you should taste the jelly mixture and adjust accordingly, before you add the pectin. I find that many artificial sweetners give an off after taste, so I add that acid to overpower that. Admittedly, I do add a little honey to my Splenda sweetened jams, and even used Cyclamates that were bought in Canada, because the US has inappropriately banned that type. In any case the small amount of added honey helps with 'stickiness', because Splenda alone seems to make the jelly a bit like a stiff Jello. I have always had troubles with regular recipes that are using sugar and plain pectin in jelly making, only because I like to make batches a little bigger and less sweet. Also, if I wanted to reduce the sugar, it would not set the jelly when using regular pectin. Pomona is unconcerned about how much sugar is needed, or if any is used at all. It does not produce the same exact texture like regular pectin and sugar do, but its much healthier for me not to consume that much concentrated sugar. A quart of tomatoes call for about a half teaspoon of citric, so if I were to use about a 1/2 teaspoon of the acid blend for a quart and a cup (4 cups+ 1 quart + 1 cup= a single batch) of jelly, it would probably be about the smallest amount I would need. In tomatoes, which are also a little acidic by themselves, an added half teaspoon of acid per quart helps them to be safer for home canning. The acid blend worked very well with any berry based jellies and jams. |
RE: Acid Blend - citric, malic, tartaric
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| Well, if it is by weight then it will be simple to mix since each jar of acid is 2 oz. Imagine that! I make a lot of sugar based jams but I thought the Splenda and Pomona would be better for those who don't want or can't have sugar. The fruit jams would be more like canned fruit I suppose without all that sugar. I agree that Splenda has an odd taste but there is a demand for low sugar jams that I want to fill and perhaps, like you said Ken, that the acid blend brightens the flavor and diminishes the odd after taste. Thanks for the tip about the honey to reduce the Jello Jigglers effect. Nancy |
RE: Acid Blend - citric, malic, tartaric
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| I use the acid blend in some fruit drinks too. Sometimes I make a fruit punch from different flavors of Crystal Light, and/or bottled juices, and they seem to taste a bit bland. Bottled stuff usually has a 'cooked' flavor. If you have ever tasted Juicy Juice, you will know what I mean. To brighten up the flavor, I add the acid blend. If you use too much of the tarteric acid in jelly making it can re-crystalalize and settle at the bottom of the jars as noticable crystals. Its not common unless a lot of the acid is used. I used to make wines and a German type was a bit higher in tarteric acid. I added what I felt was enough to give it the flavor I liked. After a year of aging, the tarteric formed some crystals again and you could see these in the bottle. Even a few commerical wines with a tart taste can have natural tarteric acid crysals form too. Because of the increase in acidity in sugar free jellies, they will keep a bit longer afte opening. I have no problems with mine even after several months in the fridge. Without the added acid, I think the opened jars of jelly would grow a bit of mold on the surface quite quickly. |
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