SummaryThis study was aimed at comparing selected properties of starch citrate obtained from native or retrogrades of potato starch at various temperatures (100, 130 or 160 °C) and at various doses of reactant (10, 20 or 40 g per 100 g). Higher susceptibility to esterification was demonstrated for retrograded starch, whereas the degree of esterification of the produced esters varied considerably (1.4 to 10.0 g per 100 g preparation) and was increasing along with increasing roasting temperature and dose of citric acid. The process of pasting occurred only in the esters obtained at a temperature of 100 °C, which resulted in a significant decrease in swelling power and solubility in water of the citrates produced at higher temperatures. The resultant starch citrates were characterised by significant resistance to amylolysis (ranging from 22 to 100 g per 100 g). There was observed an increase in starch resistance along with the increase in the acid dose and roasting temperature. All analysed properties of starch citrates were not correlated with the degree of esterification, but appeared to depend on the roasting, which may point to a significant effect of this factor on the mechanism of starch cross‐linking with citric acid.