The crisp, sweet, white hanging, lovely apple slices that had just been cut after a short time had turned an ugly dark brown color. These brown apple slices are annoying and lose the inspiration to enjoy the taste of vitamin-rich apple slices. So how to keep apples from turning brown? Please refer to the best practices that KITCHENBAR will share in this article!
Why does Apples Turn Brown?
To have a solution to any problem, what we need to do first is find out why it happened like this? And why apples turn brown when left in the air is also a question that needs to be answered. A brown (or enzymatic brown if you prefer it) is due to a natural chemical reaction that occurs when oxygen comes into contact with polyphenol oxidase in the air. This is an enzyme found in many different fruits and vegetables. This process is called oxidation, it can lead to a change in the appearance of the fruit, as well as a decrease in flavor and nutrition, which you can most clearly see when enjoying apple slices has turned brown.
Now you have a good understanding of the oxidation and discoloration of apples when exposed to the air. So if you’re going to cut an apple and eat it right away, you don’t have to worry about your apple slices going dark. However, if you need to prepare cut apples for dinner at night, bring lunch to the office or you open a restaurant and want to pre-cut apples to serve customers faster, then you cannot ignore these tips to how to keep apples from turning brown?
The Best Ways How to Keep Apples from Turning Brown
1. Use Lemon and Lemon Juice
The first and easiest way that I want to show you to prevent oxidation when cutting apples is to use lemons. This is the oldest method used using the high acidity and low pH of lemon juice. The combination of these two ingredients neutralizes the enzyme that causes the brown color of the apple. The way this method works is that the acid in lemons reacts with the enzyme before the enzyme and oxygen have a chance to react with the apple.
The slices of apples pre-cut and sold in stores are always white to appeal to customers because they have been treated with ascorbic acid, citric acid, or sulfium. The acidic composition of lemon juice works similarly. So you can use any kind of lemon or acid safely with food.
So how to put lemon in an apple? Squeeze lemon directly into pre-cut apple slices and mix well? Are not. We will guide you through the steps below.
First cut the lemon, squeeze the water and dissolve the lemon juice in the filtered water according to the ratio of 1 lemon to 0.5l of water. Then cut the apple into thin, thick pieces that you need for your intended use and then drop it into a bowl of water mixed with lemon juice. Soak for about 5 minutes, then remove the apple and put it in a can to use.
Another tip if you don’t have fresh lemons you can try with bottled lemon juice, lemon juice, or even orange juice – as long as it’s acidic. Or you can also use vinegar, as it has the same effect as lemons. However, it won’t give the scent that is as appealing as using fresh lemons.
2. Use Salt
Salt is an indispensable spice in any kitchen. And using salt to know how to keep apples from turning brown is the next simple recipe we want to send you. When you were studying Chemistry in high school you probably knew that salt is also known as sodium chloride. The chemical composition of the salt keeps oxygen from contacting the surface of the slices so it can prevent oxidation of the enzyme from exposure to air.
You probably already know that the use of salt as a preservative has been around for a long time since humans have not developed science or technology. The special thing to keep in mind when using salt is not to add too much salt to avoid spoiling the taste of the apple. Using ½ teaspoon or less mixed with a glass of water will keep the color of the apple unchanged and will not change the flavor of the apple either.
First, wash and cut the apple according to the intended use. Then you dissolve the salt in cold water at the rate of 1 teaspoon of salt mixed with 1 liter of water. Then place the slices of the pre-cut apple in a brine bath and soak for about 3-5 minutes. Finally, drain, wash and dry the apples, then place them on a plate or in cans to eat or store for later.
3. Use Honey
The next method that we want to address to you is to use honey. Sounds pretty strange, doesn’t it? In honey there is a peptide compound, which deactivates the browning enzyme. This new and exciting method was discovered by Cook’s Illustrated.
In a single preparation of the slices of apples pre-cut to serve dishes, he discovered that soaking the slices of apples in honey kept the slices white for more than a day. If only for a short 30 seconds, the apple will continue to brown for eight hours. This interesting method was also tested by him with vegetables like potatoes and other fruits like pears. You know, honey won’t change the flavor of an apple too much like lemon or salt.
Start with this method! First, wash and cut the apple pieces according to your intended use. Then dissolve 2 tablespoons of honey in 1 cup of water and wait until the honey is completely dissolved in your water, add the pre-cut apple slices, and soak in honey water for at least 30 seconds (no more than 5 minutes). Finally, take it out, and put it in plates or boxes for later use!
4. Use the Available Liquids
You may have never thought of this simple method. This method works on the principle of oxidation. Oxidation would not begin without apples – and they could not be exposed to air while in liquid. In the previous methods, we instructed you to soak apples for 3 to 5 minutes in liquid solutions such as ginger or lemon soft drinks. Or prepared liquids containing citric acid. But if you do not like the taste of the apple slices changing when soaking in these liquids, you can use white water.
First, fill the bowl with cold water. Then you cut the slices according to what you want to use and add the slices to the bowl of cold water prepared earlier. You take a paper towel and cover it on top of the bowl of water, when the tissue soaks up and becomes wet it will submerge the floating tiles.
This way, all apple slices will be soaked in water without being exposed to the air. So how long are we going to soak the apple slices in cold water for how long is enough so that the apple slices don’t stay hydrated? Just enough time is about 10-15 minutes. Then remove the apples, drain and divide into boxes to use as needed.
5. Use Ascorbic or Citric Acid Powder
Do you know what the supermarkets or the apple shops that sell pre-cut apples do to keep the slices white? Yes. They used ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, to sprinkle it on apple slices. This method is quite simple and convenient. You can buy citric acid powder or ascorbic acid powder at specialty grocery stores like Trader Joe’s or online on e-commerce platforms. Some prominent consumer favorites that we would recommend to you are Ball’s Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector.
Using these powders saves you a lot of time. Because you only need to cut the slices of apple as you want, sprinkle the flour and put them in the boxes to use. It’s convenient, right?
6. Use a Rubber Strap
A final way to know how to keep apples from turning brown that we want to send you is very simple for using a rubber string. Cut the apple slices vertically first and don’t remove the seeds. After the apple slices are finished, fold the original apple shape and fix it with a rubber string.
This prevents the cut apple from being exposed to the air and prevents oxidation. How do you feel? It’s really simple and useful, isn’t it? All you need is a knife and a rubber band. After you have fixed the apple to its original shape and kept the apple pieces out of the air, you can now put it in a food storage bag or box. Then toss it in your wallet, lunchbox, or refrigerator for later use when you need it.
Final Thoughts
The above are the top best ways to know how to keep apples from turning brown with love that we’ve experienced and it’s really helpful. Hopefully, you will be successful in preserving the full color and flavor of the apple pieces. Feel free to let us know when you’ve been successful and don’t forget to follow us!
