Another common question in home canning is, may I substitute lemon juice for vinegar in my home canning recipes, like salsa, tomato sauce, jams, and other home canned foods? Lemon juice, lime juice and vinegar are commonly used as acidifiers in home canning; juices added to increase the acidity (decrease the pH) of canned foods to prevent the growth of pathogens like botulism.
The simple answer is yes, you may use lemon (or lime juice) in place of vinegar in home canning recipes, as lemon and lime juice are slightly more acidic than vinegar. Some people prefer the tastes of lemon or lime juice over vinegar, as they feel it has a milder flavor.
Of course, if a recipe specifies lime juice, or lemonm juice, you can't switch to vinegar.
Notice in the table farther down this page that vinegar is considerably less acidic than lemon and lime juice.
Item | Approximate pH |
---|---|
Lime Juice | 2.00 - 2.35 |
Lemon Juice | 2.00 - 2.60 |
Vinegar | 2.40 - 3.40 |
Grapefruit Juice, canned | 2.90 - 3.25 |
Vinegar, cider | 3.10 |
Apple Juice
|
3.35 - 4.00 |
Orange Juice, California | 3.30 - 4.19 |
Orange, Juice Florida | 3.30 - 4.15 |
Pineapple Juice, canned | 3.30 - 3.60 |
Oranges, Florida "color added" | 3.60 - 3.90 |
Oranges, Florida "color added" | 3.60 - 3.90 |
Oranges, Florida | 3.69 - 4.34 |
Water bath canner with a jar rack
Pressure canners for gas, electric and induction stoves: Presto 23Qt or T-fal 22Qt
Canning scoop (this one is PERFECT)
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