If you want to send apple slices in your kids’ lunches or keep them overnight, you need to know how to keep apples from turning brown! Let me show you the best way!
I post my kids’ school lunches on my Instagram stories a lot. Whenever I send apple slices, I always get at least one private message asking:
How to keep apples from turning brown?!
After replying to the message countless times, I realized a lot of people would benefit from a blog post on this topic. It’s so simple, yet such a game changer when you figure out how to keep apples from turning brown!
I know I wouldn’t eat brown apple slices if that’s what I saw when I opened my lunch box. Would you?
I learned the method from a friend about a year ago. Before that, I used lemon juice, but this method is even better!
Instead of lemon juice, I now use salt. The apples stay a good color longer and there’s absolutely no taste! Sometimes I would use too much lemon juice and my kids would complain they could taste it. Problem solved!
How to Keep Apples From Turning Brown
First, slice as many apples as you want. Then fill a big enough bowl that will fit all of your slices with water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt per apple that you sliced. Stir until the salt dissolves. Put the apple slices in the bowl and let the apples soak in the salt water for 5-10 minutes.
Drain the apple slices and rinse them well. Allow them to dry and then you are ready to store them or send them in the lunch box!
The apples in this picture have been sliced for over 24 hours. YES, you can keep apples from turning brown overnight! These apples had some very slight browning after this amount of time, but nothing that would stop my kids from eating them. They are even more white when you eat them within 12 hours.
I hope this post helps you! If there’s someone you know who would like to know how to keep apples from turning brown, will you share it? I appreciate you!
Looking for healthy apple recipes? Check out this collection of 20 Apple Recipes that my family loves!
Kathy says
November 10, 2019 at 5:34 pmI did this and you can absolutely taste the salt. And yes I followed all the directions and rinsed them well.
Maryea says
November 11, 2019 at 8:42 amSorry to hear that. We don’t taste the salt at all and love this method.
Jill says
September 18, 2019 at 8:10 pmSilly question, but wouldn’t this make the apples taste really “salty”? 🤔😂
Maryea says
September 18, 2019 at 10:02 pmThat’s not silly–but actually, no, you can’t taste the salt!
Carletta E. says
November 26, 2018 at 6:30 pmGreat idea, I’m going to try this!
Karl Terry says
October 4, 2018 at 5:34 pmWould this also work for apples that you’re preparing for baking such as apple pie? I find that once I’ve got all the apples peeled and sliced they are turning brown.
Maryea says
October 7, 2018 at 7:55 amYes! It definitely would work for that. 🙂
Karen says
April 29, 2019 at 3:53 pmTable salt is bad for everyone, (it’s what gives salt a bad name), but Himalayan pink salt or Redmond’s sea salt would actually add minerals 👍🏼
Maryea says
April 30, 2019 at 11:50 amI use both of these types of salt!
Norton setup says
October 4, 2018 at 3:44 amI really need this. Thanks for sharing your idea. It really worked well.
Erica Felmanin says
October 3, 2018 at 4:40 pmAdding non essential salt to a child’s diet in service of preventing a browned apple slice – do not see how this is a healthy or a good idea.
Maryea says
October 3, 2018 at 7:30 pmI’m sure very little salt is added to their diet after rinsing the apples. In addition, my children eat very little processed foods and I’m not particularly worried about their salt intake.