Have you ever sliced an apple and discovered it started to turn brown before you even had a chance to enjoy it? While the browning is simply a chain reaction to oxygen direct exposure and won’t alter the taste or quality of an apple, it can be exceptionally discouraging when attempting to prepare a dish or treat. The good news is, there are many ways to prevent apples from turning brown, and they’re all extremely basic techniques.
How to Keep Apples From Turning Brown
Apple season remains in complete effect. So, whether you’re making a homemade apple pie, meal prepping some fruits for the week, or loading your kid’s lunchbox, there’s a couple of different ways to keep your apples from turning brown. Given that the browning occurs from oxidation, foods containing acid will prevent the enzyme from breaking down, which will assist prevent browning. You can soak apple pieces in lemon juice, lemon-lime soda, or water with honey, but our favorite approach is a saltwater bath. This simple strategy needs very little time and tidy up, and keeps your apple slices as brilliant and fresh as possible.
What You’ll Need
Equipment/ Tools
Kosher salt
Blending bowl
Colander or strainer
Materials
Apples
Directions
Preparation and Mix the Saltwater
Pour half a teaspoon of kosher salt and a cup of room temperature level water into a bowl. Mix the salt and water for a minute or 2 up until the salt has actually dissolved.
Soak Apple Slices in Saltwater
Place the sliced up apples into the bowl of saltwater and permit them to soak for as much as 10 minutes.
Strain the Apple Slices and Rinse
Put the saltwater and apple slices into a strainer or colander, and run water over the apple pieces to rinse the saltwater. Your apple slices will stay fresh (and not brown!) for as much as three days when kept in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator.
Why Do Apples Turn Brown When Cut?
Within simply a couple of minutes of slicing an apple, it will start to turn brown due to oxidation, which merely implies the fruit was exposed to oxygen. An enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is found deep in the cells of an apple, and when it connects with oxygen, it causes a response within the apple’s tissues. This is what triggers the brownish color to form on the flesh part of the apple once it’s sliced.
Tips for Keeping Apples From Turning Brown
Using the saltwater approach detailed above is the best way to keep apple pieces from turning brown, but here are a few other pointers to remember:
If you’re not intending on consuming or cooking with your apple pieces directly after cutting them, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This will prevent more oxygen from seeping in, and will keep the pieces fresh for up to three days.
Cut bigger apple slices so there’s less area that will be exposed to oxygen.
If you require to keep apple pieces fresh for the short-term, like while you’re preparing other active ingredients for a recipe, put the pieces in a bowl of cold water up until you’re all set to use them.