Do Apricots Contain Citric Acid?

Citric acid is a weak acid that adds a mild sour flavor to fruits. Most commonly associated with citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes and oranges, citric acid is found in smaller concentrations in other fruits and vegetables. Though not a citrus fruit, the apricot contains significant amounts of citric acid.

Apricots

Apricots come from a species of tree called Prunus armeniaca. Closely related to the plum tree, the apricot tree is native to West Asia but can be found throughout the world. Due to its spread to a range of ecosystems, a number of apricot varieties can be found in different parts of the world. Though the majority of the world's apricots are produced in West Asia and Southern Europe, multiple varieties are grown in North America.

Malic and Citric Acid in Apricots

Unripe apricots often have a sour taste, which you may assume to be an indication of their citric acid content. However, this sour taste can mostly be attributed to malic acid, a compound that has a more potent sour taste than citric acid. As noted in study published in 2010 in the journal "Food Science and Technology Research," much of this malic acid is converted to citric acid as apricots ripen. As such, ripe apricots contain a greater proportion of citric acid, though citric acid is present in both their ripe and unripe forms.

Fresh Apricot Citric Acid Content

Research published in the "European Food Research and Technology" in 2009 analyzed the acid content of two different varieties of apricots. Though their citric acid content was low, both of these varieties contained between 1 and 2 percent citric acid. Reviewing past studies on the citric acid content of fresh apricots, these researchers determined that this range of values is common to a number of different apricot varieties.

Dried Apricots and Citric Acid

While the majority of the fruit's juices are removed in the drying process, a significant amount of citric acid remains in dried apricots. The "European Food Research and Technology" study explored the effects of two different drying processes on the citric acid content of the same two varieties of apricots. Compared with fresh apricots, these researchers found dried apricots to be much higher in citric acid. Though this content was found to be lower when apricots were dried at lower heats, the citric acid content of both dried varieties ranged between 4 and 7.3 percent.