How To Stop Your Apples From Turning Brown Using Science

Apple slices are a great snack to put out at a gathering, whether on a fruit platter or a tasty charcuterie board with cheese and jam. The only problem is, it doesn't take long for them to start turning brown. While they're perfectly safe to eat in this state, some people find them unappetizing. Luckily, there is a way to prevent apples from turning brown, and it involves food science.

Your brown apple slices are the result of a process called oxidation, or enzymatic browning. When you cut into the fruit, an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO) interacts with oxygen from the air and its phenolic compounds. This interaction causes the apple to produce brown-colored melanin pigments.

Since brown apples are the result of oxidation, you need an antioxidant to stop this process from occurring. The antioxidant ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, does the trick, and it's simple to use at home. Here's how to do it.

Although ascorbic acid crystals might be challenging to find at a store, you can easily order them online. Before you cut your apples, dissolve 1 teaspoon of the ascorbic acid into 1 gallon of cold water. As soon as your fruits are sliced, soak the pieces in the water and ascorbic acid solution for 10 minutes. The antioxidant properties of the acid will prevent the apple slices from oxidizing and producing melanin, leaving you with fruits that stay fresh, crisp, and colorless for longer.

Crushed vitamin C tablets also work. You'll need six tablets to replace 1 tablespoon of pure ascorbic acid. Repeat the same process of dissolving the tablets in a gallon of cold water and allow your apples to soak for about 10 minutes. You may notice that the tablets make the water cloudy, but this isn't harmful and it won't affect the flavor of your food.

Lemon juice can also be used to stop apples from turning brown. Lemons are a good source of vitamin C, so it's unsurprising that they have an antioxidizing effect. They aren't as effective at preventing browning as vitamin C tablets or pure ascorbic acid crystals, but they will still delay oxidation, keeping your apples colorless for longer. You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice. Either rub apples with the liquid or submerge them in cold water with 2 tablespoons of your solution.

Lemons aren't the only type of fruit that prevent apple browning, either. Any type of citrus juice will work, so feel free to use whatever source of citric acid you have in your fruit bowl. Oranges, limes, and pineapples are all great sources of vitamin C. If you're not a fan of the way fruit juice changes the flavor of your apples, stick with ascorbic acid crystals or vitamin C tablets.