I have always liked apples in just about ANY form. Apple juice, applesauce, apple PIE! :-) But, in the past, I haven’t been much of a fan of fresh, whole apples because I have a “thing” about biting into them. I just don’t like to do it. I know, I know…I’m weird. I have a lot of food texture issues. For example, I’m the only person I know that doesn’t like watermelon. But, once again, it’s not because of the TASTE, it’s a texture thing.
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Bottom line, with my food texture issues, I don’t do a lot of munching on apples, but I DO enjoy apple SLICES….a LOT! They are awesome for sticking in lunches for school or work and are a great snack when the afternoon munchies hit. When they first started prepackaging apple slices and selling them at places like McDonald’s and grocery stores, I was all over it! That was until August of last year when there was a massive recall of prepackaged apple slices because of a listeria contamination. Yikes! I couldn’t look another one of those packages in the face.
I was forced to take matters in my own hands and started making my own sliced apple “packages.” Unfortunately, as we all know, apples will quickly turn brown (or oxidize) after slicing. This is the result of a chemical reaction that occurs when the enzymes in the apple come into contact with oxygen. However, I figured if McDonald’s could overcome this, I could too! I did some research and found a few different options, but the one that has works the best for me is this one:
How to Keep Apple Slices from Turning Brown
Slice whole apples into wedges and put in a medium-sized bowl.
Pour in enough lemon-lime soda to barely cover the apple slices. Carbonated drinks like lemon-lime soda and ginger ale contain citric acid which is an effective anti-oxidant.
Allow the apple slices to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
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Take the apple slices out of the soda and package in snack-sized plastic zipper storage bags. (You can rinse the apple slices, if you like. I don’t.)
Store these “goodie bags” in the fridge for easy-to-grab snacks or as a healthy part of a brown bag lunch you pack for yourself or your kids.
You will be amazed at how well this method works! My apples stay crisp and colorful (excluding the color “brown”) for days!
These little homemade prepackaged apples are my “secret weapon” for getting more fruits and fiber into my diet.
Photos by Anna Gleave
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