Citric Acid

[Letbyliz]

Making Elderflower cordial for the first time & trying to find citric acid was difficult, hunted around and pleased to find a stockist: pharmacy (The Grove) in Bookham, Surrey.
Hope anyone else who's found difficulty will be able to get some there.

[Farmer_Gyles]

i've read on various winemaking sites and things that you can just use ordinary lemon juice instead of citric acid ...... i'm gonna make some elderflower cordial this week and i'll use lemon juice .... might try elderflower and gooseberry wine too, will try the same with that ..........

[pdblake]

Just use lemon juice.

[Hilary B]

Lemon juice contains citric acid, but it works out a lot more expensive to get the same acid content!
I got citric acid OK in the local pharmacy, but they commented that at present rates of purchase they might have to ration it!

[annacruachan]

CJ Berry says you can use lemon juice in place of citric acid and raisins in place of concentrate. I always do both and have had no problems.

[Wren]

I use lemons too. One lemon does a gallon size demijon, costs 25p. If you zap the lemon in the microwave for ten seconds you get more juice out when you squeeze.

Wren

[Hilary B]

I use lemons too. One lemon does a gallon size demijon, costs 25p. If you zap the lemon in the microwave for ten seconds you get more juice out when you squeeze.

Wren

There are times you want lemon juice. Great. There are times you want acid. The citric acid in your 25p lemon would only be the equivalent of about 10p out of the packet of citric acid.
I'm making elderflower cordial, which requires a LOT of acid (I think it is as preservative).

[roitelet]

You can usually get it in the Home Brew shops but they are careful who they sell it to.
I was told that the reason it was not easy to find was that it is used in the illicit drug industry

[Mrs Twigg]

citric acid

for 2010 ....try and remember to buy Citric acid from the chemist BEFORE the Elderflower season stars

[pdblake]

You can usually get it in the Home Brew shops but they are careful who they sell it to.
I was told that the reason it was not easy to find was that it is used in the illicit drug industry

That's odd, Wilkinsons sell it online, in the home & baby section
Young's u Brew Citric Acid 50g at Wilkinson Plus

[Hilary B]

You can usually get it in the Home Brew shops but they are careful who they sell it to.
I was told that the reason it was not easy to find was that it is used in the illicit drug industry

I don't see how, and it has thousands of legitimate uses. They might as well try to control icing sugar (which I have heard is used to 'cut' illegal drugs).

[LostGoddess]

I was lucky as an online company I use for alot of my baking requirements and gluten-free foods stock citric acid

Citric Acid 1kg from GoodnessDirect

Can't recommend this company enough, brilliant service.

From all that I've read I believe the citrid acid is used mostly as a preservative rather than flavour? The irony is that citric acid makes me ill, but I added to the batch of elderflower cordial that I was giving away to friends so they wouldn't be put off my gifts because they spoiled! For my own consumption I just keep my citric-acid-free cordial in the fridge and some in the freezer.

[ohbeary]

You can usually get it in the Home Brew shops but they are careful who they sell it to.
I was told that the reason it was not easy to find was that it is used in the illicit drug industry

Oh yes!! just knocking up a batch of "crack coccaine", nah not really, I've had it from our local hardware shop who do some homebrew stuff and never been questioned as to the use I was going to put it to, I suppose they have enough drugs to be going on with .......as a preservative its fine for bottled fruit etc but in wine making its just used to give an edge an prevent some flower and veg wines tasting insipid, as anything over 10% should keep itself.