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TikTok Tip: Lemon or Vinegar Drops Yield Fluffier Rice

Lowering the pot’s pH helps keep rice starch intact to reduce stickiness.

Overview

  • Spanish chef Chris Carpentier advises in a TikTok video adding a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water.
  • Daily Mirror, Daily Record and Mirror US report the method produces less sticky, more separate grains.
  • The cited rationale is that acidified water lowers pH and stabilizes amylose and amylopectin, limiting starch release during cooking.
  • Coverage pairs the hack with best practices: rinse until clear, follow packet ratios, avoid stirring, simmer covered, rest, then gently fluff.
  • Carpentier cautions the trick helps but won’t fix overcooked rice, and the ingredient is described as a low-cost staple at about 30p.