Natural Preservative Pickles • Tomatoes • Sprouts Gluten Free For Canning & Sprouting 100% Pure Discussion: Citric acid provides a pantry ready alternative to lemon juice. Use for canning to preserve vitamin C content and prevent discoloration. For sprouting, citric acid may help inhibit fermentation and bacterial growth. As an ecofriendly household cleaner, add 1 tbsp to dishwasher or mix 6 parts water to 1 part citric acid to prevent water stains.