Thread: How can I make a citric acid solution not taste sour and be drinkable?

I need help to make a citric acid solution in water taste-free or at least not sour.
I understand that it is the Oxonium ions formed in aqueous solution that provides the sour taste.
I wonder if there is any substance that causes the sour taste to cease? The fluid should be drinkable ie I should be able to drink it without it being harmful in any way.
All answers pleases me!

Well you could mix it with sodium bicarbonate. Which will make a nice fizzy drink. But it won't be citric acid anymore, it will be sodium citrate. I don't know if that matters.

Or sugar.

All answers pleases me!

Ah, doubly pleased then.

Haha,
Do not know how bicarbonate can change the taste, or cause it to disappear?
How much do I have to mix?

Originally Posted by NeroBorsen

Haha,
Do not know how bicarbonate can change the taste, or cause it to disappear?

Because it will neutralise the acid and turn it into a salt. But I have no idea whether you need citric acid or if sodium citrate will do.

How much do I have to mix?

Gosh, I suppose I should work it out but ... about the same weight of each should be approximately correct.

Hmmm... I have to try it.
But can I just take baking powder as Bicarbonat?

Originally Posted by NeroBorsen

Hmmm... I have to try it.
But can I just take baking powder as Bicarbonat?

No, because baking powder contains another acid (tartaric acid, probably).

Just out of curiousity, I wonder what effect Stevia would have?

Steviol glycoside - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stevia is OKish. It's sweet, but it's a very different taste from cane sugar or corn syrup - and it leaves a distinctive after taste. That's in the processed, powdered forms anyway, might be different if you could grow it fresh.

As for the sourness, that's acid. Remember farmers and gardeners are equally likely to refer to such soils as either sour or acid interchangeably. Some cooks do the same for the flavour. Acid tang is the same as sour taste.

It really depends what you want it for. If you're using it for preserving you must maintain the lower pH, let it rise and you'll have rising numbers of various unpalatable and dangerous microorganisms. That's why most pickles and chutneys use vinegar. If you're using it for flavouring, you just have to get the right balance of sweet/sour/salty for cakes, drinks, desserts and the like. If it's a savoury dish there's also the hot and umami balance to be considered.

So I just need to find the balance between sodium bicarbonate and citric acid?

As adelady says, I think you need to say what you are using the citric acid for. For many purposes, mixing it with bicarb will be inappropriate because you need the acid present.

It's a lab, I'll do it as an effervescent tablet but I do not like lemon flavor