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

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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.)

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.

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.

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.

Mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar in 1 cup water. Soak apples for 5 minutes, rinse and store in a plastic baggie. Spray slices with Eat Cleaner Fruit and Veggie Wash Spray and store in a plastic baggie.

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. The mild salt flavor can be rinsed off with tap water before serving.

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.

Some people will tell you to store apple slices overnight in plain water in the fridge as a make-ahead hack, but soaking apples for prolonged periods of time in water can dilute their flavor.

How do you keep apples fresh the longest? ›

It's best to store apples in a dark, humid, and cold environment (30°F to 35°F), such as the crisper drawer of your fridge, that will keep your apples fresh, juicy, and flavorful.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you're going to cook apples, it's fine to prep them a day or two in advance.

It's a chemical reaction that happens when the sugar in apple slices reacts with oxygen. This process is called oxidation. It can be prevented by storing apples with their skin on and using them quickly. But if they are cut open or bruised, it will only take about 5 minutes for them to start turning brown.

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.

Thermal treatment, modified atmosphere storage, the prevention of oxygen exposure, low temperature, and irradiation are commonly used physical-based preservation systems to prevent enzymatic browning in fruit and vegetable [1].

"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.

Adding acidic juices to your apples like lemon and pineapple juice can slow the enzymic browning of apples. The low pH the juice provides can cause PPO to become less active.

But sure enough, there were several slices of apple (two types: Gala and Granny Smith) suspended in a clear carbonated beverage in the center of the food section. These little slices of paradise have a reason behind them: the Sprite keeps the apples from turning brown, and it infuses them with a little extra sweetness.