Lemons primarily contain citric acid. While other acids are present in smaller amounts, citric acid is the dominant acid responsible for the characteristic tart taste.
Other Acids Present in Lemons
Although citric acid is the major component, lemons also contain smaller quantities of other acids, including:
- Malic acid: Contributes to the overall sourness.
- Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C): An essential nutrient.
- Oxalic acid: Present in trace amounts.
- Tartaric acid: Present in trace amounts.
- Lactic acid: Present in trace amounts.
This information is supported by various sources:
- Healthline: Confirms citric acid's natural occurrence in citrus fruits like lemons.
- Botanical Gazette: States that citric and malic acids are the chief acids in lemon juice.
- Quora: Specifies citric and malic acid as the main acids, with trace amounts of others.
- Corpserevived: Lists citric, malic, ascorbic, oxalic, tartaric, and lactic acids as components of lemons.
- NCBI: Highlights the high citric acid content in lemon juice (1.44 g/oz).
The chemical formula for citric acid is C₆H₈O₇.
