In accession to buffering pH (reduce acidity), the citrate ion in sodium citrate aswell acts as a sequestering agent. This agency that the citrate ion is acceptable to bind with added ions that are present in a solution—particularly calcium. In cheese, the calcium ions in cheese’s casein milk proten are replaced with sodium ions. If this happens, the casein changes anatomy and exposes both water-loving and oil-loving ends. The casein, then, is the emulsifier, even admitting sodium citrate is advised an emulsifying salt.
Sodium citrate’s sequestering abilities are important in atomic gastronomy as well. Sodium Alginate, Low Acyl Gellan, Low-methoxyl Pectin and Iota Carrageenan alone gel in the attendance of ions such as calcium. But these ions aswell difficult the able hydration of the hydrocolloids which is all-important to anatomy a gel. If the aqueous to be used for hydration contains accustomed calcium ions, it is all-important to use a sequestrant like sodium citrate to bind those ions and accredit able hydration. Spherification is one application.
Spherification occurs if a hydrocolloid reacts with calcium and forms a attenuate skin. Sometimes, however, two abundant calcium can be present in the mixtures involved, usually due to naturally-occurring calcium in tap water. Sequestrants like sodium citrate are used to abate calcium and anticipate aboriginal gelation. They are decidedly advantageous for this purpose back they can aswell hardly access pH, which can advice the basal spherification process.
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