How to prevent the apple from browning?
Whether to take them on a picnic day or to anticipate the ingredients of a preparation, cutting apples becomes a task of care when we know that in a matter of minutes they will be brown and unappetizing.
If you don’t know how to prevent apples from oxidizing, stay and read this article where we are going to give you some tips to prevent this chemical phenomenon, which happens when a food comes into contact with oxygen in the air, from happening and, in addition, We are going to teach how to preserve this fruit so that it lasts longer in its optimal state, whether it is whole or cut.
What is oxidation in food?
Oxidation is a chemical process produced by exposure to air (oxygen), heat or light. In which food transforms its physical properties for others due to a chemical reaction and, consequently, its color, flavor, its smell, its texture, etc…
Antioxidants are substances that prevent oxidation and are very useful for keeping food in perfect condition, maintaining not only its physical properties but also nutritional properties such as vitamins and some amino acids that are easily destroyed or volatilized as soon as they come into contact with the environment. Oxygen.
Many foods already contain antioxidants naturally present in their composition, but many times it is necessary to add some externally in order to preserve them for longer. These can be natural (citrus, vinegar, salt, etc…), chemical (E300 or ascorbic acid, E330 or citric acid, etc…) or materials such as airtight bags or plastic wrap.
Tricks to prevent the apple from browning
Here are some of the most effective ways to prevent apples from browning and changing their physical properties easily and quickly:
Lemon
Lemon and acids in general are perfect for preventing cut apples from browning and also helping to keep them refrigerated for up to 12 hours.
You can choose to add a couple of drops on the cut apple piece and this will slow down its oxidation. On the other hand, if you want to keep it for up to a week, follow these steps:
- Pour the juice of half a lemon in 1 liter of water.
- Introduce the apple cut into pieces and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Remove the apple pieces and rinse them with the help of warm water.
- Store them in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
This is the typical trick that occurs in the steps of many kitchen preparations that contain this fruit, as in this recipe for apple pie with peach jam.
Elastic bands or rubber bands
This is a perfect option to take fruit to school or to work and thus avoid the problem of carrying instruments to be able to cut and preserve peeled apples:
- Cut the apple into 9 equal pieces and keep it together
- Put a bandage or garter on it, tying these pieces horizontally.
- You can then store it in an airtight bag or container and take it with ease to where you need it with the confidence that the fruit will not be brown (rusty), watery or off-taste.
Salt
Salt has been par excellence the best food preservative in almost all of history and when we refer to apples, it is no exception. To achieve this you need to follow these steps:
- Dissolve ½ tablespoon of salt in 1 liter of water and put the apple pieces inside.
- Rest for about 5 minutes and then rinse with warm water.
- Store the rinsed pieces in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.
Ways to preserve apples:
After learning how to prevent the apple from oxidizing, here you will learn some tips to store and keep it in perfect condition even if you have not cut it yet. Preventing apples from oxidizing is one issue, but knowing how to preserve them is another that also causes a lot of conflict between everyone, and a very good idea is to prevent oxygen from being in contact with the fruit so that it lasts much longer and the cold from the refrigerator or refrigerator do not burn it.
Film paper
If you buy the apples in trays already prepared in the supermarket, it is very easy to store them because they already come in that presentation, but if not, wrap each apple in a piece of plastic wrap, leaving it in direct contact with the fruit to vacuum seal it and keep it tightly sealed when refrigerated.
Airtight bags
A very good option if you don’t have plastic wrap is to use a hermetically sealed bag or the famous Ziploc ones. Try to buy apples that are green rather than ripe and not ripe, this will help them last much longer. Added to that, use the airtight bags to keep them inside the fridge; remember to extract all the air and close the sealing closure correctly.
