Brucine, an organic reagent used for nitrate determinations, proved stable for at least one year when dissolved in methanol. This makes possible a consistently accurate and rapid method for field determinations of nitrate in clear solutions with a minimum of equipment. The method is also useful in the laboratory for determining nitrate in water or soil extracts. It is quicker and simpler than other colorimetric methods and more sensitive to low concentrations than the nitrate electrode.