Ascorbic acid
Acide ascorbique
| Latin name | Acidum ascorbicum |
|---|---|
| Family | Texture agents |
| Origin | Citrus and paprika |
| Season (France) | All year |
| Flavour | Mild · Sour · Fresh |
| Typical price (France) | 20–40 €/kg |
What it is
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, who isolated it from paprika and took the 1937 Nobel for it, wanted to name the unidentified sugar ignose, then godnose; his editor refused both. What sells today is not vitamin C the nutrient but vitamin C the tool - a powder bought to stop things browning.
In the kitchen
One gram in a litre of water, brushed on or dipped, holds cut apple, avocado and artichoke pale for hours. In bread it is a dough conditioner at 20 to 40 ppm, a scant pinch per kilo of flour; past that the dough tightens instead of strengthening.
Goes with
Apple Avocado Artichoke Pear Banana Salsify Celeriac T65 bread flour
Same species
Lactic acid Malic acid Tartaric acid
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