What does acidulate mean?
To acidulate something is to make it mildly acid or sour, usually by adding a small amount of an acid such as lemon juice, vinegar, or citric acid. The word belongs mainly to the vocabulary of cooking, chemistry, and winemaking: a cook might acidulate a bowl of water so that sliced apples or artichokes hold their colour, while a chemist might acidulate a solution to bring it gently toward an acidic pH. Because it denotes a slight rather than a strong effect, acidulate sits alongside its more forceful cousin 'acidify', which implies a marked increase in acidity. Derived from the Latin 'acidus', meaning sour, the term entered English in the seventeenth century and carries a precise, technical tone. Though rarely heard in casual conversation, it remains a useful and elegant word wherever a touch of tartness matters.
verbTo make something slightly acid or sour in taste or character, typically by adding an acid such as lemon juice or vinegar.
- To make something slightly acid or sour, especially by adding lemon juice, vinegar, or another mild acid.
"She acidulated the cooking water with a squeeze of lemon to keep the artichokes from discolouring."
"The recipe instructs you to acidulate the water with vinegar before poaching the fish."
"A light vinaigrette will acidulate the salad without overwhelming its delicate greens."
Chefs have been quietly acidulating water for centuries — a splash of lemon keeps cut fruit and artichokes from turning brown, and 'acidulated water' appears in professional kitchens everywhere.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of acidulate
Acidulate derives from the Latin adjective 'acidus', meaning sour or sharp-tasting, combined with the suffix '-ate' used to form verbs. It entered English in the early modern period, by the seventeenth century, alongside related coinages from the same root such as 'acidify' and 'acidulous'. Its cognates all trace back to that Latin stem, including the everyday words 'acid' and 'acidity'.
Related word forms
How acidulate is actually used
Acidulate is a somewhat technical or formal term, found chiefly in cookery, chemistry, and wine-making contexts rather than everyday speech. It implies a gentle degree of acidity — for stronger acidification, writers typically use 'acidify'.
Easily confused with acidulate
Acidify means to make something distinctly or strongly acid, whereas acidulate means only to give it a slight, mild acidity.
Acidulous is an adjective describing something that tastes or seems slightly sour, while acidulate is the verb used to produce that quality.