Natural Strength Lemon Juice - Ask Extension
Hello,
I am going to be canning some cherry pie filling, which I have done for many years. My recipe uses lemon juice. I can now only find "Na...
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Natural Strength Lemon Juice #843676
Asked August 01, 2023, 2:03 PM EDT
Hello,
I am going to be canning some cherry pie filling, which I have done for many years. My recipe uses lemon juice. I can now only find "Natural Strength" Lemon juice bottles in the store. It seems much weaker. I don't think it would be an acidic and am wondering what to do about my canning recipe and am concerned about Natural Strength lemon juice and canning safety.
Thanks.
Ashland County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi Deidre,
Yes, it is ok to use and actually preferred...and here is why:
It is a USDA recommendation that bottled lemon juice be used. And
consistent with the recommendation, reputable canning sources will agree
that the best source of lemon juice for canning is commercially bottled
lemon juice, as opposed to the juice of a fresh lemon. The reason for
the recommendation is that bottled lemon juice has been uniformly
acidified or standardized per FDA regulations: “lemon juice prepared
from concentrate must have a titratable acidity content of not less than
4.5 percent, by weight, calculated as anhydrous citrus acid.” With a
guaranteed pH (5 percent2), there is a consistent and known
acid level which is essential for the critical safety margin in canning
low-acid foods and for making jams gel properly.
https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2021/08/03/the-case-for-bottled-lemon-juice-in-canning/
Yes, it is ok to use and actually preferred...and here is why:
It is a USDA recommendation that bottled lemon juice be used. And
consistent with the recommendation, reputable canning sources will agree
that the best source of lemon juice for canning is commercially bottled
lemon juice, as opposed to the juice of a fresh lemon. The reason for
the recommendation is that bottled lemon juice has been uniformly
acidified or standardized per FDA regulations: “lemon juice prepared
from concentrate must have a titratable acidity content of not less than
4.5 percent, by weight, calculated as anhydrous citrus acid.” With a
guaranteed pH (5 percent2), there is a consistent and known
acid level which is essential for the critical safety margin in canning
low-acid foods and for making jams gel properly.
https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2021/08/03/the-case-for-bottled-lemon-juice-in-canning/
Thank you. So, bottled lemon juice has not changed? That's my question, since they changed the label to say "Natural Strength" , is the acidity of bottled lemon juice the same?
Hi, Diedre-
Thanks for the clarifying question. According to Iowa State University Extension, the average acid level of fresh lemon juice is about 5 percent, thus the “natural strength” labeling on the lemon juice bottle. So though more labels might contain this statement now, the 5 percent acidity should be the same, and bottled lemon juice is still recommended for canning.
Here is the article from Iowa State: The Case for Bottled Lemon Juice in Canning.
There have been some questions lately about vinegar, because it used to be pretty standard to find 5%, but now 4% labels are showing up in the store. Safety Concern with Vinegar Acidity Level in Home Canning
At this time, we are not aware of the same issue with lemon juice being any different in acid content.
Thank you,
Emily Marrison
Family and Consumer Sciences Educator
Thanks for the clarifying question. According to Iowa State University Extension, the average acid level of fresh lemon juice is about 5 percent, thus the “natural strength” labeling on the lemon juice bottle. So though more labels might contain this statement now, the 5 percent acidity should be the same, and bottled lemon juice is still recommended for canning.
Here is the article from Iowa State: The Case for Bottled Lemon Juice in Canning.
There have been some questions lately about vinegar, because it used to be pretty standard to find 5%, but now 4% labels are showing up in the store. Safety Concern with Vinegar Acidity Level in Home Canning
At this time, we are not aware of the same issue with lemon juice being any different in acid content.
Thank you,
Emily Marrison
Family and Consumer Sciences Educator
