How to Keep Apples From Turning Brown - Eckert's (2024)

FAQs

How to Keep Apples From Turning Brown - Eckert's? ›

To use this method to prevent apples from turning brown, create a water bath for your apple slices with a ratio of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water. Soak the apple slices for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and rinse them. This simple step should keep your apples from browning for several hours.

Any type of citrus juice—lemon, lime, or orange juice—will work here; pineapple juice will do the trick too. These fruit juices contain citric acid, which slows the chemical reaction and prevents browning. (You can also sprinkle the fruit with powdered citric acid, but it may leave a strong sour flavor.)

Just soak cut apples in lemon-lime soda, like 7-Up or Sprite, for about 10 minutes. Drain them and they're ready to use. Since the flavor is neutral, the fruit needs no additional rinsing. Apples soaked in the lemon-lime soda will look good for a couple days.

Mix 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt into 1 cup of cool water until dissolved. Add your sliced apples and soak for about 10 minutes. Drain the apples and store in an airtight container for up to a week. If you're packing the apples in a lunch box right away, give them a rinse under cool water.

How can we prevent apples from turning brown? To slow the chemical reaction, you can isolate the fruit in an anaerobic – or oxygen-free – environment. This is possible by placing lemon juice or pineapple juice on the apple. These liquids carry antioxidants which eliminate oxygen.

"They can last six to eight weeks stored in a refrigerator," says Wortz. Scheck notes that if your room temperature is on the warm side, the refrigerator is ideal for storing apples for any amount of time. The countertop is an option for shorter storage; apples can last one to two weeks there.

Packaged apples found at McDonalds or in your local produce section are usually treated with a solution of calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C) or citric acid (found in citrus fruit) to maintain freshness and color. Both are very safe to use on fruit that will be consumed.

Make sure you coat your freshly cut apple in syrup or sugar. This coating can reduce oxygen diffusion at the surface of the apple, thus slowing down the browning reaction.

Soak In Salt Water

We often overlook salt as an option for keeping our apple slices fresh. Found in pretty much every kitchen, table salt also interferes with oxidation. Soaking apple slices in salt water is surprisingly effective and may prevent browning for a couple of hours.

The apple turns brown because vinegar possesses an inadequate pH level (in other words, it is not acidic enough) to hinder the enzymatic activity that is responsible for the apple turning brown.

How do you keep apples from turning brown before dehydrating? ›

Pretreating the apples will help prevent them from turning brown. To do this, mix 4 cups (1qt) water with 2 tablespoons ascorbic acid powder, or equal parts water and lemon juice, and soak the sliced apples for 3-5 minutes.

Here's the short version: The best way to prevent browning is to soak the cut fruit in a saltwater solution (half a teaspoon of kosher salt per cup of water) for 10 minutes, then drain and store until ready to use.

Also, as soon as you assemble the salad, the apple surfaces become coated with mayonnaise or other dressing, which will protect them from the air. No oxygen, no browning. But really, all of this is much ado about nothing.

Apple Treatment Method: Lemon Juice

These slices fared almost as well as the citric acid-treated ones did — the lemon juice stopped the browning for almost seven hours. Taste-wise, the slices retained a lemon-fresh tartness, but were not as strongly acidic as those with citric acid.

Here's the short version: The best way to prevent browning is to soak the cut fruit in a saltwater solution (half a teaspoon of kosher salt per cup of water) for 10 minutes, then drain and store until ready to use.

If you're slicing apples in the morning to be eaten at lunch, this is the easiest method. No pre-soaking or rinsing required here — you can prep while you're half asleep. Simply slice the apples and store them submerged in tap water in a lidded container or sealed baggie at room temperature.

Lemon juice, Vinegar, clear soda will all prevent food from turning brown quickly. These liquids are acidic, so they will lower the pH of the food surface. Olive oil, will also prevent food from browning, but is less effective than the acids. Water and salt water will also slow the browning of foods.