Sprinkle a Little of This on Watermelon for the “Best Flavor Ever” (No, It’s Not Salt or Tajín!)

Come summertime, I’m basically made of watermelon. The seasonal fruit is a lifesaver for a person like me who struggles to eat in sweltering weather and is bad at remembering to stay hydrated. It expertly accomplishes both of those tasks in one fell swoop.

The problem with watermelon is that you can never be exactly sure of what you’re going to get until you crack it open. All too often, I find myself with a fruit that’s sad and mealy despite employing all the tricks to find one that’s sweet and crispy. Yet, watermelon prices are no joke, and throwing the whole thing away isn’t an option. Instead, I’ve had to get creative to make the most of what I’ve got. 

That’s where Milliard citric acid comes in. Ever since I added this fine, white powder to my kitchen arsenal I’ve been experimenting with different ways to put it to work. The fact that just a sprinkle of the stuff can salvage a middling melon has easily been my favorite and most useful discovery so far. 

You’re probably already familiar with citric acid (even if you think you aren’t). The supremely sour powder is the reason your candy tastes like more than just sugar, but it’s also found naturally in loads of fruits and veggies, like lemons and tomatoes, and used to preserve condiments like jam and mustard. 

This offering from Milliard isn’t the first citric acid I’ve tried, but it’s the last one I’ll ever use. Unlike the other, coarser varieties I’d dabbled with in the past, it dissolves immediately and is easy to spread or disperse evenly — so I never end up with an occasional extremely sour bite when I add it to a buttercream frosting, and I can use it on the rim of a margarita without fear of destroying my tongue. 

My journey to discovering all that’s possible with this citric acid is just getting started, but I’m already sold on the way it can elevate a lackluster watermelon. 

The epiphany happened one night when I was thirsty, sweaty, and in deep denial that the 10-pound melon I’d just hauled 10 blocks from the store to my apartment wasn’t living up to my expectations. The texture was fine, but the flavor was nowhere to be found. I took a look through my cabinets to see what might save the day, and it wasn’t long before I decided to enlist the help of my citric acid. 

I cut my melon into quarters, then I sliced three separate triangles from that single quarter. Because the melon was lacking sweetness, I combined about a half tablespoon of sugar with a half teaspoon of the citric acid, figuring it was a safer bet to use less and add more later if it needed it.

And I’m glad I did because it turned out to be just the right amount. I sprinkled the mixture evenly over the slices, and in a matter of moments the bad watermelon I’d bemoaned was now the ideal one I’d hoped for — the sweet and tangy mixture fusing with the juicy meat and producing one perfect bite after another. 

But you don’t need to wait for an imperfect melon to cross your path to put this trick to the test. If your fruit is already plenty sweet — like mine was the day I took these photos — skip the sugar and rely on the citric acid alone for a treat that’s on par with Sour Patch Kids. 

Or do what I do and use it to improve any fruit that’s not giving what it should, like an overly sweet apple. Not only will the extra acidity provide some much-needed balance, it’ll also keep it from turning brown after slicing. Before you know it, you’ll be wondering if there’s anything this citric acid can’t do.

Buy: Milliard Citric Acid, $14 for 2 pounds at Amazon 

What’s your secret to making so-so produce taste 100x better? Tell us about it in the comments below.