Acidic means that something contains an acid, with a pH below 7. Acidity, or the amount of acid in food, is very important,.The higher the acidity, the less likely that microorganisms can grow. Microorganisms can cause sickness and even death, which is why it is essential to test the acidity of food, especially when canning or jarring.
Prepare food for pH testing. Foods must be in liquid form in order to measure the acidity so if a food is a solid it should be pureed in a blender. If needed for mixing purposes, you can add a small amount of distilled water Distilled water will not affect the pH of the liquid because it is considered neutral.
Dip a pH test strip into the liquid. Leave the test strip in the liquid for about 10 to 20 seconds so that a reaction has time to occur.
Read the test strip and compare the results with the color chart included with the pH papers to determine the acidity of the food.
Tips
pH test strips and color charts can be purchased at a local hardware store. Pool supply shops carry them as well.