Author Topic: Lemon Juice / Citric Acid - Interchangeable?  (Read 8387 times)

aetg

  • Guest
Lemon Juice / Citric Acid - Interchangeable?
« on: August 04, 2009, 09:11:09 PM »
I'm new to cheese making and I was wondering if lemon juice and citric acid are interchangeable in cheese making.  I recently had a batch of mozzarella fail and I was wondering if it was due to using lemon juice instead of citric acid or something else.

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: Lemon Juice / Citric Acid - Interchangeable?
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2009, 09:20:43 PM »
Yes, in the sense that you can acidify with lemon juice instead. No, in the sense that you can't use the same amount of lemon juice as citric acid and expect the same outcome. Lemon juice is 5-8% citric acid.

I would suggest using a buttermilk or buttermilk/yogurt starter if you want to make mozz. You will get more consistent results and better taste with lactic acid than citric.

aetg

  • Guest
Re: Lemon Juice / Citric Acid - Interchangeable?
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2009, 01:36:32 AM »
That's probably what I did wrong then.  I added used a one to one ratio of lemon juice versus citric acid.  How much extra lemon juice should I add?

MrsKK

  • Guest
Re: Lemon Juice / Citric Acid - Interchangeable?
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2009, 12:02:35 PM »
I don't think you can make mozzerella using lemon juice.  As far as I know, the cheeses made using lemon juice or vinegar (paneer and queso blanco) don't really melt, so you won't get the melt and stretch that makes mozz what it is.

linuxboy

  • Guest
Re: Lemon Juice / Citric Acid - Interchangeable?
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2009, 02:09:49 PM »
Paneer/Queso blanco are made differently than a pasta filata style. They are cooked to higher temps and the curd is precipitated without rennet. Mozz will theoretically work with lemon juice. Somewhere around 1/2 cup per gallon of milk. I have never been able to make a good mozz from store milk that's been directly acidified. On the other hand, cultured milk makes for a great mozz, even with store milk.

Aetg, why not try one of these recipes instead?

http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/pasta_filata/pasta_filata.html
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/Fankhauser/cheese/Mozzarella/MOZZARELLA_jn0.HTM