597284 Wed Feb 18 12:32:23 -0800 2009 29 12 Boston Area 0 4429232 Does anyone know where I can find citric acid in the Boston area? I thought Christina's Spices in Inman for some reason, but their phone has been temporarily disconnected. I guess a follow-up question is: what's going on at Christina's? Thanks in advance for any help! Wed Feb 18 12:32:23 -0800 2009 86651 cookboat55 1 4429276 I was in there a week ago Sunday and all looked well. Wed Feb 18 12:42:29 -0800 2009 4429232 43893 C. Hamster 1 4429324 Try a homebrew store -- Modern Brewer probably, Beer & Wine Hobby in Woburn definitely carries it. Wed Feb 18 12:51:16 -0800 2009 4429232 12962 itaunas 1 4429350 any CVS or Walgreens will carry it but it's labeled as vitamin C. you'll need to crush the tabs or you can do as i do and give them a whirl in the spice grinder to your desired level of powdery-ness. Wed Feb 18 12:58:42 -0800 2009 4429232 12603 ScubaSteve 2 4429566 Vitamin C is ascorbic acid, not citric. Wed Feb 18 13:48:25 -0800 2009 4429350 256764 yarm 3 4429661 dang! sorry. are they interchangeable with regards to foodstuffs? Wed Feb 18 14:11:48 -0800 2009 4429566 12603 ScubaSteve 1 4429612 I got it at Debra's Nat. Gourmet in W Concord. I'll bet WF has it. Wed Feb 18 13:57:51 -0800 2009 4429232 27342 trufflehound 1 4429657 Try sour salt sold at the Butcheries in Brookline. You can also find it in at groceries in Brookline and Newton. Wed Feb 18 14:10:26 -0800 2009 4429232 175523 macadamianut 2 4429753 I thought sour salt was acetic acid. Wed Feb 18 14:41:02 -0800 2009 4429657 116047 The Professor 3 4429821 Professor, What is acetic acid ? Thanks, Macadamianut Wed Feb 18 14:57:01 -0800 2009 4429753 175523 macadamianut 4 4429833 vinegar. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetic_acid Wed Feb 18 14:59:04 -0800 2009 4429821 12603 ScubaSteve 3 4429953 I believe it's another (more folksy) name for citric acid (purified from sour fruits like lemons). Acetic acid doesn't crystallize that well (it can when chilled, but it also sublimates into gas). Wed Feb 18 15:35:12 -0800 2009 4429753 256764 yarm 4 4431361 acetic acid - vinegar ** Does not readily sublimate** sublimate is going directly from a solid to a gas (like "dry ice", solid carbon dioxide, does). Most vinegars are only ~6% acetic acid anyway. citric acid - the acid found in lemon juice. Sound like the OP wants pure citric acid, usually sold as a sodium salt, sodium citrate. Not sure what they need it for..could the OP let us know?? ascorbic acid - vitamin c. Again, usually found in its salt form, sodium ascorbate. Thu Feb 19 04:56:04 -0800 2009 4429953 11301 Science Chick 5 4432237 Wow, this is a ton of helpful information! I need citric acid because I'm making a few recipes from the Alinea cookbook, and I forgot to order it on-line a week ago. Don't suppose any of you know where I can get agar agar or glucose, do you? Thanks, everyone! Thu Feb 19 09:31:14 -0800 2009 4431361 86651 cookboat55 6 4432409 I've purchased agar agar from whole foods. I think it was in the Japanese section, near the kuzu. For glucose, do you need solid or liquid? Thu Feb 19 10:08:32 -0800 2009 4432237 11301 Science Chick 6 4433341 Agar agar is also at Debra's Natural Gourmet in West Concord, I used some a few weeks ago for some soup dumplings. All their spices are sold from bulk containers so you can get as much or as little as you want. Thu Feb 19 14:04:51 -0800 2009 4432237 85911 ChrisConcord 6 4435160 Agar agar (in thin strips or sheets) are also sold in Chinese markets, if that's a more convenient location. You can hit any of the larger ones in and around Boston. Fri Feb 20 06:36:25 -0800 2009 4432237 13028 kobuta 5 4432893 My point was that if it was a salt (dried), it was not acetic acid since it would sublimate and it is difficult to make and keep it that way. Thu Feb 19 12:05:45 -0800 2009 4431361 256764 yarm 6 4433064 I'm sorry, but I'm not understanding you......just because something is "dried" does not make it a salt. A salt form of an acid loses one or more or its hydrogen ions, which is replaced with a positively charged salt, usually sodium or potassium. Pure acetic acid (like the stuff I use in my lab....yes, I am a *real* science chick!!) has no water in it and if heated will evaporate away. Once you evaporate it, it is gone. An acetate salt, such as sodium acetate, keeps very easily at room temperature. If you wanted to sublimate it, you would have to expose it to tremendous pressure. That's why most acids, such as citrate, acetate, ascorbate, etc store quite well and are highly stable in their salt forms. Thu Feb 19 12:55:11 -0800 2009 4432893 11301 Science Chick 7 4434948 Very Very impressive Science Chick! I enjoyed your science lesson. Your like a woman Alton Brown!! It was very interesting, thank you. Fri Feb 20 04:40:14 -0800 2009 4433064 175523 macadamianut 8 4438485 Geek central....... Sat Feb 21 05:49:39 -0800 2009 4434948 11301 Science Chick 7 4437347 They call pure acetic acid glacial because if you chill it slightly (16°C, refrigerator would do), it forms crystals. No tremendous pressure is needed to form crystals. And it would not require tremendous pressures to sublimate it (assuming you scooped out the crystals, and ignoring the water the crystals would grab from the air). And it doesn't need to be heated to evaporate. Thank you for the lecture though. The dried/salt part was in reference to what the guy saw on the shelf at a store and why that wasn't acetic acid. Fri Feb 20 16:07:07 -0800 2009 4433064 256764 yarm 8 4438487 Pressure is required for sublimation, not crystallization. If you warm the crystals, they will go from solid back to liquid, not from solid to a gas. Sat Feb 21 05:50:21 -0800 2009 4437347 11301 Science Chick 1 4431941 If you can't find it locally, try King Arthur website. They have all sorts of good stuff! http://search.kingarthurflour.com/?N=0&rt=p&Ntt=citric+acid Thu Feb 19 08:14:34 -0800 2009 4429232 11057 macca 1 4432170 According to Wiki, sour salt is citric acid. You might find it in supermarkets/spice aisle in areas with a significant Jewish population. Thu Feb 19 09:13:36 -0800 2009 4429232 11146 EllenMM 1 4433091 You can order it from New England Cheesemaking Supply in Ashfield, MA. www.cheesemaking.com Thu Feb 19 13:05:17 -0800 2009 4429232 23908 hilltowner 1 4434733 The Droubi Bros. Lebanese Market in Roslindale usually has it... Thu Feb 19 22:38:15 -0800 2009 4429232 182960 mathteacher 1 4437022 Armenian stores in Watertown carry it and I think all Russian grocery stores in Allston- Brighton and Brookline carry it too. Fri Feb 20 14:32:44 -0800 2009 4429232 21854 galka 1 4439379 They have it at Shalimar (central square) and other Indian groceries. Sat Feb 21 12:21:36 -0800 2009 4429232 26804 bee 1 4439454 Ok so I was just in my kitchen cooking and as I twirled my spice rack around and around I came across my bottle of sour salt. Durkee is the manufacturer. It's says sour salt, and underneath it says citric acid crystals. I thought I was right the first time. Sat Feb 21 12:48:07 -0800 2009 4429232 175523 macadamianut