🕷️ Crawler Inspector

#  By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to our [terms of service](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/legal/terms-of-service/public) and acknowledge you have read our [privacy policy](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/legal/privacy-policy). # OR Already have an account? [Log in](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/login) [Skip to main content](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown#content) #### Stack Exchange Network Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q\&A communities including [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/), the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. [Visit Stack Exchange](https://stackexchange.com/) 1. - [Tour Start here for a quick overview of the site](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/tour) - [Help Center Detailed answers to any questions you might have](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/help) - [Meta Discuss the workings and policies of this site](https://cooking.meta.stackexchange.com/) - [About Us Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products](https://stackoverflow.co/) 2. ### [current community](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/) - [Seasoned Advice](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/) [help](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/help) [chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/?tab=site&host=cooking.stackexchange.com) - [Seasoned Advice Meta](https://cooking.meta.stackexchange.com/) ### your communities [Sign up](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/signup?ssrc=site_switcher&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcooking.stackexchange.com%2Fquestions%2F14922%2Fwhy-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown) or [log in](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/login?ssrc=site_switcher&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcooking.stackexchange.com%2Fquestions%2F14922%2Fwhy-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown) to customize your list. ### [more stack exchange communities](https://stackexchange.com/sites) [company blog](https://stackoverflow.blog/) 3. [Log in](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/login?ssrc=head&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcooking.stackexchange.com%2Fquestions%2F14922%2Fwhy-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown) 4. [Sign up](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/signup?ssrc=head&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcooking.stackexchange.com%2Fquestions%2F14922%2Fwhy-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown) [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/) 1. 1. [Home](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/) 2. [Questions](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions) 3. [Unanswered](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/unanswered) 4. [AI Assist](https://stackoverflow.com/ai-assist) 5. [Tags](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/tags) 6. [Chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/) 7. [Users](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users) 2. Stack Internal Stack Overflow for Teams is now called **Stack Internal**. Bring the best of human thought and AI automation together at your work. [Try for free](https://stackoverflowteams.com/teams/create/free/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cooking-community&utm_campaign=side-bar&utm_content=explore-teams) [Learn more](https://stackoverflow.co/internal/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cooking-community&utm_campaign=side-bar&utm_content=explore-teams) 3. [Stack Internal]() 4. Bring the best of human thought and AI automation together at your work. [Learn more](https://stackoverflow.co/internal/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cooking-community&utm_campaign=side-bar&utm_content=explore-teams-compact) **Stack Internal** Knowledge at work Bring the best of human thought and AI automation together at your work. [Explore Stack Internal](https://stackoverflow.co/internal/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=cooking-community&utm_campaign=side-bar&utm_content=explore-teams-compact-popover) # [Why prevent apples from turning brown?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown) [Ask Question](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/ask) Asked 14 years, 9 months ago Modified [13 years, 1 month ago](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown?lastactivity "2013-01-25 23:38:05Z") Viewed 7k times This question shows research effort; it is useful and clear 11 Save this question. Show activity on this post. It's somewhat well-known that [applying an acidic solution to sliced apples prevents them from turning brown as quickly](http://www.strangequestions.com/question/631/Why-dont-apple-slices-turn-brown-when-lemon-juice-is-sprayed-on-them.html). I believe that the primary motivation to prevent the "browning" is aesthetic: slightly brown apples don't appear as appetizing as bright white ones. Is there any other reason to do this? *** [This page](http://www.strangequestions.com/question/631/Why-dont-apple-slices-turn-brown-when-lemon-juice-is-sprayed-on-them.html) on the subject of apple-browning states: > When an apple is cut, it releases an enzyme called polyphenol oxydase. This copper-based compound breaks down in the presence of oxygen, acting both as an antibacterial agent and as a deterrent to animals. This is what forms the brown coating on the apple. The Wikipedia entry for [food browning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_%28chemical_process%29) refers to the browning of apples as "undesirable" but is without qualification, and the entry for [polyphenol oxidase](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphenol_oxidase) says nothing about its properties other than colour, and I couldn't find any additional explanation of the "antibacterial" properties of browned apples, and what that actually means. *** My question is two-fold: 1. Is apple-browning undesirable for any non-aesthetic reason, such as affecting taste, or any property other than colour? 2. When people apply a solution to apples to make them "last longer", how should I read this? Does this simply mean "will brown slower", or is there something else to it? - [food-safety](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/food-safety "show questions tagged 'food-safety'") - [food-preservation](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/food-preservation "show questions tagged 'food-preservation'") - [apples](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/apples "show questions tagged 'apples'") [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/q/14922 "Short permalink to this question") Share a link to this question Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this question](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/14922/edit) Follow Follow this question to receive notifications asked May 19, 2011 at 19:21 Ezra [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid answering questions in comments.") \| ## 5 Answers 5 Sorted by: [Reset to default](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown?answertab=scoredesc#tab-top) This answer is useful 13 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. I found that when I dry apple slices (usually early dessert apples) that there is no noticeable difference in the finished product - except of course the colour. I went so far as to have people blind-test them, nobody could tell between acid-treated and "natural" dried apples with statistical significance. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/14940 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/14940/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications answered May 20, 2011 at 8:06 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4127/adebaumann) [adebaumann](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4127/adebaumann) 69533 silver badges55 bronze badges 1 - 1 Interesting. I assume you dehydrate them immediately after slicing? Does the time make a difference? Sobachatina – [Sobachatina](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2001/sobachatina "47,755 reputation") 2011-05-20 12:24:57 +00:00 [Commented May 20, 2011 at 12:24](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown#comment18374_14940) [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 8 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. In addition to the brown color they also become mushy and have a bruised flavor. Not a nice thing. I don't know anything about the brown being antibacterial but I don't really care because I don't expect cut apples to stay around long enough to harbor bacteria. An acidic solution will prevent browning. I toss mine with dilute lemon juice. They will last for days in the fridge without browning. I've not done an experiment to see how long it will take them to actually spoil. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/14923 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/14923/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications answered May 19, 2011 at 19:42 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2001/sobachatina) [Sobachatina](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2001/sobachatina) 47\.8k2020 gold badges169169 silver badges259259 bronze badges [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 4 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. If I want to keep cut apples from turning brown (e.g. if I'm packing them in a container in my daughter's lunch), I put a small amount of Vitamin C crystals (ascorbic acid) in. This will actually *reverse* the oxidation, turning slightly brown apple chunks white/yellow again. On the odd occasion when the apples didn't get eaten for a few days, they've tasted fine to me. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/14951 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/14951/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications answered May 21, 2011 at 4:53 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/266/ward) [Ward](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/266/ward) 5,1071111 gold badges3535 silver badges4747 bronze badges [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 1 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. As Ward mentioned, and some of the other answers hint at, apples turn brown due to oxidation. The antioxidants contained in them are spent. If you want to eat more antioxidants for dietary reasons, you should consider adding acid to the apples. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/16636 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/16636/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Jan 24, 2013 at 15:55](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/16636/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho) [rumtscho](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho)♦ 143k4747 gold badges322322 silver badges587587 bronze badges answered Aug 4, 2011 at 17:40 user6942 [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| This answer is useful 0 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Like some of the other posters have said, I also find that cut apples that have started to brown have a slightly altered taste and texture (bruised flavor and mealy texture). In addition to aesthetics, I actually like the taste of fresh cut apples with fresh lemon juice either squeezed on or by taking a lemon wedge and rubbing it onto the apple slices. Plus, as others have said, citrus adds vitamin C, antioxidants and flavonoids to your diet. [Share](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/a/30410 "Short permalink to this answer") Share a link to this answer Copy link [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ "The current license for this post: CC BY-SA 3.0") [Improve this answer](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/30410/edit) Follow Follow this answer to receive notifications [edited Jan 25, 2013 at 23:38](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/posts/30410/revisions "show all edits to this post") [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho) [rumtscho](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho)♦ 143k4747 gold badges322322 silver badges587587 bronze badges answered Jan 25, 2013 at 21:36 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/15444/djsizzlepuff) [DJSizzlePuff](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/15444/djsizzlepuff) 6122 bronze badges [Add a comment](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14922/why-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown "Use comments to ask for more information or suggest improvements. Avoid comments like “+1” or “thanks”.") \| - Featured on Meta - [Logo updates to Stack Overflow's visual identity](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/417394/logo-updates-to-stack-overflows-visual-identity?cb=1) - [All users on Stack Exchange can now participate in chat](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/417109/all-users-on-stack-exchange-can-now-participate-in-chat?cb=1) #### Linked [9](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/18091/how-can-i-keep-chopped-fruit-fresh-for-2-3-hours?lq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [How can I keep chopped fruit fresh for 2-3 hours?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/18091/how-can-i-keep-chopped-fruit-fresh-for-2-3-hours?noredirect=1&lq=1) [2](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/91469/does-allowing-apples-to-brown-before-long-cooking-affect-the-final-flavour?lq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Does allowing apples to brown before long cooking affect the final flavour?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/91469/does-allowing-apples-to-brown-before-long-cooking-affect-the-final-flavour?noredirect=1&lq=1) #### Related [10](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/4251/red-apples-safety?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Red apples safety](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/4251/red-apples-safety?rq=1) [10](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/9018/how-to-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [How to Prevent Apples from turning Brown](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/9018/how-to-prevent-apples-from-turning-brown?rq=1) [6](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/27316/why-do-apples-bought-at-the-market-feel-sticky?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Why do apples bought at the market feel sticky?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/27316/why-do-apples-bought-at-the-market-feel-sticky?rq=1) [3](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/47717/why-didnt-my-apples-caramelise?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Why didn't my apples caramelise?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/47717/why-didnt-my-apples-caramelise?rq=1) [6](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/59227/how-do-i-prevent-jams-from-turning-brown?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [How do I prevent jams from turning brown?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/59227/how-do-i-prevent-jams-from-turning-brown?rq=1) [1](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/79411/3-day-old-steak-turning-brown-from-the-inside-out?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [3 day old steak turning brown from the inside out](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/79411/3-day-old-steak-turning-brown-from-the-inside-out?rq=1) [5](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/89960/why-do-apples-sometimes-taste-bitter?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Why do apples sometimes taste bitter?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/89960/why-do-apples-sometimes-taste-bitter?rq=1) [2](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/91469/does-allowing-apples-to-brown-before-long-cooking-affect-the-final-flavour?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Does allowing apples to brown before long cooking affect the final flavour?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/91469/does-allowing-apples-to-brown-before-long-cooking-affect-the-final-flavour?rq=1) [2](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/124587/mineral-oil-as-a-zero-calorie-alternative-to-cooking-oil?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Mineral oil as a zero calorie alternative to cooking oil](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/124587/mineral-oil-as-a-zero-calorie-alternative-to-cooking-oil?rq=1) [1](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/125841/supermarket-wonky-apples?rq=1 "Question score (upvotes - downvotes)") [Supermarket 'wonky apples'](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/125841/supermarket-wonky-apples?rq=1) #### [Hot Network Questions](https://stackexchange.com/questions?tab=hot) - [Is this small closet wall load-bearing?](https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/329352/is-this-small-closet-wall-load-bearing) - [Sources on how consensus develops for mathematical definitions](https://philosophy.stackexchange.com/questions/136525/sources-on-how-consensus-develops-for-mathematical-definitions) - [Do presheaves of complexes with term-wise descent satisfy descent as well?](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/508405/do-presheaves-of-complexes-with-term-wise-descent-satisfy-descent-as-well) - [Is there information the US president is not cleared for?](https://politics.stackexchange.com/questions/94272/is-there-information-the-us-president-is-not-cleared-for) - [Do we need the Second Law of Thermodynamics to give physical meaning to the quantities appearing in the First Law?](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/869469/do-we-need-the-second-law-of-thermodynamics-to-give-physical-meaning-to-the-quan) - [Asking for deadline extension on graduate school offer](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/226008/asking-for-deadline-extension-on-graduate-school-offer) - [tabular: add lines until the end of the text body is reached](https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/760111/tabular-add-lines-until-the-end-of-the-text-body-is-reached) - [Systemd delegation and a manually controlled cgroup subhierarchy](https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/804670/systemd-delegation-and-a-manually-controlled-cgroup-subhierarchy) - [Can every regular polygon be part of a finite set of regular polygons that tile the plane?](https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/5125876/can-every-regular-polygon-be-part-of-a-finite-set-of-regular-polygons-that-tile) - [Groups with a certain character-theoretic property](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/508414/groups-with-a-certain-character-theoretic-property) - [How were the studio portions of "Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman" filmed?](https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/131491/how-were-the-studio-portions-of-fetch-with-ruff-ruffman-filmed) - [It is possible to curve an set of array modifiers applied to an object with animated applied to bevel modifier](https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/345323/it-is-possible-to-curve-an-set-of-array-modifiers-applied-to-an-object-with-anim) - [What are Max Pointers in engine indication gauges?](https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/114984/what-are-max-pointers-in-engine-indication-gauges) - [Creating an RMS multimeter without specialized chips – How to do it?](https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/766084/creating-an-rms-multimeter-without-specialized-chips-how-to-do-it) - [What are some theorems/facts/results where it is unreasonable for students to come up with a (counter-)example on their own?](https://matheducators.stackexchange.com/questions/30077/what-are-some-theorems-facts-results-where-it-is-unreasonable-for-students-to-co) - [Pre-processing of longitudinal data to convert to a regular survival analysis](https://stats.stackexchange.com/questions/674925/pre-processing-of-longitudinal-data-to-convert-to-a-regular-survival-analysis) - [How hard is it for a meter-scale device to measure tidal force](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/272739/how-hard-is-it-for-a-meter-scale-device-to-measure-tidal-force) - [How can I ensure I graduate on time?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/226001/how-can-i-ensure-i-graduate-on-time) - [Bash script for doing off-site backups using restic](https://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/301398/bash-script-for-doing-off-site-backups-using-restic) - [Summary of the current progress on Navier-Stokes existence and smoothness problem](https://mathoverflow.net/questions/508419/summary-of-the-current-progress-on-navier-stokes-existence-and-smoothness-proble) - [Are adjustable dumbbells similar to non-adjustable lifting weights?](https://fitness.stackexchange.com/questions/48792/are-adjustable-dumbbells-similar-to-non-adjustable-lifting-weights) - [Smoothing road path into a continuous curve in QGIS](https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/500046/smoothing-road-path-into-a-continuous-curve-in-qgis) - [Is message-bound key derivation a known cryptographic construction, and has it been analyzed as a MAC alternative?](https://crypto.stackexchange.com/questions/119397/is-message-bound-key-derivation-a-known-cryptographic-construction-and-has-it-b) - [What is the Thomson Reuters impact factor?](https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/226019/what-is-the-thomson-reuters-impact-factor) [Question feed](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/feeds/question/14922 "Feed of this question and its answers") # Subscribe to RSS Question feed To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader.  # Why are you flagging this comment? It contains harassment, bigotry or abuse. This comment attacks a person or group. Learn more in our [Abusive behavior policy](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/conduct/abusive-behavior). It's unfriendly or unkind. This comment is rude or condescending. Learn more in our [Code of Conduct](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/conduct/abusive-behavior). Not needed. This comment is not relevant to the post. ``` ``` Enter at least 6 characters Something else. A problem not listed above. Try to be as specific as possible. ``` ``` Enter at least 6 characters Flag comment Cancel You have 0 flags left today #  # Hang on, you can't upvote just yet. You'll need to complete a few actions and gain 15 reputation points before being able to upvote. **Upvoting** indicates when questions and answers are useful. [What's reputation and how do I get it?](https://stackoverflow.com/help/whats-reputation) Instead, you can save this post to reference later. Save this post for later Not now ##### [Seasoned Advice](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/) - [Tour](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/tour) - [Help](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/help) - [Chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/?tab=site&host=cooking.stackexchange.com) - [Contact](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/contact) - [Feedback](https://cooking.meta.stackexchange.com/) ##### [Company](https://stackoverflow.co/) - [Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/) - [Stack Internal](https://stackoverflow.co/internal/) - [Stack Data Licensing](https://stackoverflow.co/data-licensing/) - [Stack Ads](https://stackoverflow.co/advertising/) - [About](https://stackoverflow.co/) - [Press](https://stackoverflow.co/company/press/) - [Legal](https://stackoverflow.com/legal) - [Privacy Policy](https://stackoverflow.com/legal/privacy-policy) - [Terms of Service](https://stackoverflow.com/legal/terms-of-service/public) - Cookie Settings - [Cookie Policy](https://policies.stackoverflow.co/stack-overflow/cookie-policy) ##### [Stack Exchange Network](https://stackexchange.com/) - [Technology](https://stackexchange.com/sites#technology) - [Culture & recreation](https://stackexchange.com/sites#culturerecreation) - [Life & arts](https://stackexchange.com/sites#lifearts) - [Science](https://stackexchange.com/sites#science) - [Professional](https://stackexchange.com/sites#professional) - [Business](https://stackexchange.com/sites#business) - [API](https://api.stackexchange.com/) - [Data](https://data.stackexchange.com/) - [Blog](https://stackoverflow.blog/?blb=1) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/officialstackoverflow/) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/stackoverflow) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/stack-overflow) - [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/thestackoverflow) Site design / logo © 2026 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under [CC BY-SA](https://stackoverflow.com/help/licensing) . rev 2026.2.23.40006

This question shows research effort; it is useful and clear 11 Save this question. Show activity on this post. It's somewhat well-known that [applying an acidic solution to sliced apples prevents them from turning brown as quickly](http://www.strangequestions.com/question/631/Why-dont-apple-slices-turn-brown-when-lemon-juice-is-sprayed-on-them.html). I believe that the primary motivation to prevent the "browning" is aesthetic: slightly brown apples don't appear as appetizing as bright white ones. Is there any other reason to do this? *** [This page](http://www.strangequestions.com/question/631/Why-dont-apple-slices-turn-brown-when-lemon-juice-is-sprayed-on-them.html) on the subject of apple-browning states: > When an apple is cut, it releases an enzyme called polyphenol oxydase. This copper-based compound breaks down in the presence of oxygen, acting both as an antibacterial agent and as a deterrent to animals. This is what forms the brown coating on the apple. The Wikipedia entry for [food browning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browning_%28chemical_process%29) refers to the browning of apples as "undesirable" but is without qualification, and the entry for [polyphenol oxidase](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphenol_oxidase) says nothing about its properties other than colour, and I couldn't find any additional explanation of the "antibacterial" properties of browned apples, and what that actually means. *** My question is two-fold: 1. Is apple-browning undesirable for any non-aesthetic reason, such as affecting taste, or any property other than colour? 2. When people apply a solution to apples to make them "last longer", how should I read this? Does this simply mean "will brown slower", or is there something else to it? asked May 19, 2011 at 19:21 This answer is useful 13 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. I found that when I dry apple slices (usually early dessert apples) that there is no noticeable difference in the finished product - except of course the colour. I went so far as to have people blind-test them, nobody could tell between acid-treated and "natural" dried apples with statistical significance. answered May 20, 2011 at 8:06 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4127/adebaumann) 1 This answer is useful 8 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. In addition to the brown color they also become mushy and have a bruised flavor. Not a nice thing. I don't know anything about the brown being antibacterial but I don't really care because I don't expect cut apples to stay around long enough to harbor bacteria. An acidic solution will prevent browning. I toss mine with dilute lemon juice. They will last for days in the fridge without browning. I've not done an experiment to see how long it will take them to actually spoil. answered May 19, 2011 at 19:42 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/2001/sobachatina) This answer is useful 4 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. If I want to keep cut apples from turning brown (e.g. if I'm packing them in a container in my daughter's lunch), I put a small amount of Vitamin C crystals (ascorbic acid) in. This will actually *reverse* the oxidation, turning slightly brown apple chunks white/yellow again. On the odd occasion when the apples didn't get eaten for a few days, they've tasted fine to me. answered May 21, 2011 at 4:53 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/266/ward) This answer is useful 1 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. As Ward mentioned, and some of the other answers hint at, apples turn brown due to oxidation. The antioxidants contained in them are spent. If you want to eat more antioxidants for dietary reasons, you should consider adding acid to the apples. [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho) [rumtscho](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho)♦ 143k47 gold badges322 silver badges587 bronze badges answered Aug 4, 2011 at 17:40 This answer is useful 0 Save this answer. Show activity on this post. Like some of the other posters have said, I also find that cut apples that have started to brown have a slightly altered taste and texture (bruised flavor and mealy texture). In addition to aesthetics, I actually like the taste of fresh cut apples with fresh lemon juice either squeezed on or by taking a lemon wedge and rubbing it onto the apple slices. Plus, as others have said, citrus adds vitamin C, antioxidants and flavonoids to your diet. [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho) [rumtscho](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/4638/rumtscho)♦ 143k47 gold badges322 silver badges587 bronze badges answered Jan 25, 2013 at 21:36 [](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/users/15444/djsizzlepuff)