The Uses of Sodium Citrate in Swanky Cooking!

 

Cooking is an art and it is not limited to just ingredients like grains, vegetables, fruits, spices, sauces and the other day-to-day accompaniments of regular cooking. Both professional and amateur cooks around the world are now experimenting with garnishing and other frills in their cooking which takes the appearance and attraction quotient of a dish to a new plane!

Indeed, modern cooking calls for a range of new elements like gums, emulsifiers and stabilizers. Let us take sodium citrate for instance. This ingredient occupies a special place in both cheesemaking and molecular gastronomy. Following are some of the striking applications of this exceptional product:

·        Flavoring agent: Sodium citrate – also known as sour salt - is commonly used as a food additive to give both a salty and tart tang to beverages like sodas and energy drinks. It is usually added to dairy products like yoghurt.

·        Buffer: The same ingredient is used in combination with citric acid to reduce the acidity of foods. It is often added to highly acidic liquids to help neutralize them. It works as an antioxidant too.

·        Sequestrant: Sodium citrate crystals are considered a good stabilizer which improves the quality and stability of foods.

·        Preservative: It is also used as a preservative to prevent food spoilage.

·        Gelling: Sodium citrate will also promote gelling and is used in making jams, ice cream and even gelatin mix.

·        Spherification: It allows spherification with its strong acidic ingredients. 

·        Emulsifier: When a cheese does not melt well, it calls for an emulsifier that will prevent the curdling - separation of oil and protein - in the cheesemaking process. Adding a little sodium citrate to almost any cheese will allow it to transform into a smoothly melted and creamy cheese, without any lumps and with the flavor of aged cheese. This cheese sauce can even be cooled and reheated, molded or cut for cheese slices.

Apart from culinary applications, sodium citrate works as a good anticoagulant – it will prevent blood from clotting. And its power of chelating metal ions makes it useful in dishwashing and laundry detergents too.

How to Use?

Sodium citrate is available as both crystals and in powder form. It dissolves easily in liquids at normal temperature and acts instantaneously. It dissolves easier and quicker when heated. A manual whisk or blender can be used for mixing properly.

Please note that sodium citrate being a sodium salt of citric acid, it will have a salty and sour taste and should be added to foods accordingly.

Novel cooking components are difficult to find, especially good quality ones. Cape Crystal Brands https://www.capecrystalbrands.com/) comes to the rescue with specialized offerings like sodium citrate which is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, kosher and keto-friendly. All the ingredients are of premium quality, and yet, available at reasonable prices. Enjoy the multifarious uses of these new products and cook up a storm!