Prevent Apple Slices from Turning Brown

How to Prevent Apple Slices from Turning Brown - themamasgirls.com

A great party food is a platter of fresh, colorful apple slices with a delicious fruit dip or caramel dip!  The only drawback with serving fresh apple slices is that the platter can’t be made too far ahead of the party because the apples might turn brown.  Brown apple slices are not bad for you, but they certainly aren’t very appetizing.  Apples naturally have an enzyme that when it reacts with oxygen, it starts to oxidize.  It’s almost as if the surface of the apple slices are turning rusty!  Eeeeew!

So, if you can reduce the pH on the surface of the apples, you can slow the oxidation process and keep them looking fresh longer. Ginger Ale is a pleasantly flavored beverage and it contains a small amount of citric acid which can do just that!  The citric acid is the same thing that is found in those fruit fresh powders that you can buy.  I find the Ginger Ale to be much easier and so much more convenient! No measuring, No mixing.

When I slice apples for a serving platter, (or even to bag them up to put in a lunch pail), I drop the slices into a bowl of Ginger Ale.  I allow them to soak for about 5-10 minutes, then pat them dry with a paper towel before arranging them on a serving platter.  It’s amazing how beautiful and appetizing they look on the platter even after an hour.

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Apple slices look especially pretty on a platter lined with ruffle-y green leaf lettuce.  It brings out the apple’s vibrant colors and they look so fresh!

3 thoughts on “Prevent Apple Slices from Turning Brown”

  1. Great suggestion. I usually use pineapple juice, drained from a can of pineapple, but if I don’t need the pineapple at the time, I end up freezing the pineapple and it isn’t as easy to reuse as fresh frozen pineapple. This is a great alternative. Love you girls blog!

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