1.

2-5
2. 6-7
3. 8
4. 9
5. 10-11
6. 12

As a class you will work collaboratively to create a comprehensive presentation on ACID. Each group will
be responsible for a different topic. As a group, read and prioritize the information provided to you, and
complete a few well thought out and succinct slides highlighting the important information in your section.
Information should be presented bulleted, and pictures should be included on each slide. Be prepared to
present.
Acid
What is acid?
● Anything that registers below 7 on the ph scale is an Acid.
● Anything that tastes sour is a form of acid
●
Acid’s Effect on Flavor
● Makes food sour
● Causes mouths to water
● Heightens other flavors
● Balances flavor
The Flavor of Acid
● Pure acid is sour
● A fruity tang
● Vary in concentration
● Acidity is citrus juices are not consistent
● Natural elements affect flavor
●
 Acids of the World
● Vinegar ● Honey
● Pickles ● Olive oil
● Citrus ● Greek yogurt
● Dijon mustard ● Buttermilk
● Sauerkraut ● Earl grey tea
● Canned tomatoes ● Black coffee
● Ketchup ● Parmesan cheese
● lime/lemon ● Red wine vinegar

Romesco - Catalan sauce made with

peppers and toasted nuts.

Kufte - Asian dish consisting of yogurt

over little lamb kebabs
How Acid Works?
Acid & Color

● Acid triggers chemical reactions, these

reactions have an effect on the texture
and color of food.
● Acid dulls vibrant colors such as greens
● Aicd keeps reds and purples vivid
● It can help raw fruits and vegetables
retain their natural color by fighting
oxidation

Oxidation: When combined chemically

with oxygen
How Acid Works?

Acid & Texture

❏ Intimate network traps water in muscle fibers that were previously bound that makes
the food tender and moist
❏ Protein network will continue to tighten and squeeze the water out which makes the
food dry and tough
❏ The faster the collagen melts, the sooner the meat will be juicy
❏ Acid keeps vegetables and legumes tougher, longer
❏ Boiling vegetables will soften them but adding some sort of acid will toughen it
❏ Acid creates bonds that traps water in order to make jam
How acid works pt. 2
❏ Collagen - the main structural protein found in tough cuts of meat
❏ Alkalinity - the capacity of water to resist changes in pH that would make the water more
acidic
❏ Pectin - naturally occurring substance found in berries, apples and other fruit. When heated
together with sugar, it causes a thickening that is characteristic of jams and jellies.
❏ Denaturation - When acid comes into contacts with protein , they unfold and unwind
❏ Chemical leavening - mechanism used in the baking industry to provide volume through the
release of gases to enhance the eating quality of baked goods.
❏ Coagulate - cause a fluid to change to a solid or semisolid state
❏ Casein - slow-digesting dairy protein that people often take as a supplement.
Producing Acid
-

CARAMELIZATION: It’s the chemical reaction involved in

browning sugars.

Maillard reaction: the chemical reaction involved in

browning meats, seafood, vegetables, baked goods, or just
anYthing else.

Fermentation: the chemical breakdown of a substance by

bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically
involving effervescence and the giving off of heat.
Using Acid
Layering Garnishing

● Combination of acids and when to use ● They are used to finish a dish
them ● It often improves food
● It can take in different acids to increase flavor
● Cooked slowly and give time to do its work
● It can balance other flavor
● No replacement for working with acid
early, the time and heat will soften any
dish sharp edges
Chicken with Poultry Ragu
Glazed Five-Spice Vinegar
Chicken
Using Acid
Balance
● Need a sweet-sour balance Salted Caramel
● Only sweetness stimulates taste buds that sense sweetness Sauce
● Adding salt to food can trigger more taste buds
● Balance sweetness with acid
● Cooking Acids: some examples are tomatoes in pasta sauce, beer in a pot of
chili, and vinegar in chicken. Acids work as tenderizers and break down fibers
in food that are cooked or marinated in it as well as penetrating and adding
flavor in the food.

I die when I was 18 years old

Improvisation ● The world of Acid
○ Vinegars
Salt, Fat, and Acid ○ Citrus
○ Pickles
● Salt is used to enhance, fat to carry, & acid to ○ Dairy
● Bright Cabbage
balance flavor slaw
● Use full-fat yogurt, cilantro, onions, salt & curry ○ Dish
powder for Indian flavors ○ Variety of
veggies
● Use mayonnaise instead of olive oil for Classic ○ Heat, acid, salt
Southern variation
● Rice wine vinegar for an Asian one
● Palermo flavors include lemon juice & zest, onions
, aioli, fennel seeds & sea salt
● Harmonize the 3 and your taste buds will sing
with delight