List of fruits and their acid content.
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Answer:
Some of the most common organic acids in food are found within fruits. Many people are already aware that citric acid occurs in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and limes, but there are lesser known acids in fruits that you may not have heard of. These include malic acid, which is found in apples, and tartaric acid found in grapes.These acids provide these fruits with that distinctive, sharp taste. The mixture of acid and sugar is what gives fruits their unique flavor, so foods will often be deliberately fermented in particular acids to retain or increase the flavor.
In addition to taste, acids in fruits are also used as preservatives due to their ability to reduce the onset of bacterial degradation. High acidity helps to kill bacteria so food doesn't spoil as quickly. Maintaining an ideal pH level within the food keeps it fresher for longer.
Many of the acids in fruits can provide benefits to your body if consumed in moderation, but some of the more specific benefits of each include:
Citric acid: Found in the highest amounts in lemons and limes, it also occurs in many other citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. However, what may be surprising is that a number of berries also include citric acid, including strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries. Due to its strong, sharp taste and high acidity, it is often used independently as a flavoring in various foods and drinks. Its key role in the body is the appropriately named citric acid cycle (or Krebs cycle) which occurs in all cells and is the process of releasing energy broken down from fats, carbohydrates and sugars.
Malic acid: Predominantly found in apples, malic acid is also in a variety of fruits with stones at their center. This includes cherries, apricots, peaches and watermelon, despite watermelon being classed as an alkaline fruit. While all acids mentioned in this list feature a sharp taste, malic acid may have the strongest — for this reason, it is actually used to flavor the sour candies that are designed to overwhelm your palate. It is also used to give salt and vinegar-flavored products that distinctive taste. Similarly to citric acid, the body uses malic acid for a variety of cellular processes and as such, salts of malic acid are found in the cells of most living things.
Tartaric acid: Though not as common as its counterparts citric and malic, tartaric is still a common acid found in foods, particularly in grapes and avocados. As with malic acid, it is sometimes used as sharp flavoring in sour candies, but its predominant use is in wine. Manufacturers include tartaric acid in their wines to increase the tartness of the wine's taste, thus providing it with a stronger and more distinctive flavor.
These are just three of the more predominant acids in fruits, but there are many others that play smaller roles in the body such as succinic, oxalic, benzoic, isocitric and quinic acid. A February 2018 study published in Horticulture Reviews found that fleshier fruits (such as berries, watermelon, peaches and other soft fruits) have the highest levels of key acids compared to their harder counterparts.