How to Keep Fruit from Turning Brown

When fleshy fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, and bananas are cut open and exposed to the air, their insides will often turn brown within minutes as a result of the oxidation process. Although brown fruit is still nutritious and safe to eat, sometimes the color can appear unsightly and unappetizing. However, there are several natural ingredients you can use together to prevent your fruit from turning brown.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Honey and Water

1
Place your sliced fruit into a medium-sized bowl.^{[1]
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2
Mix together 1 tbs. (30 g) of honey and 1 cup (128 g) of slightly warm water. Honey will dissolve easier in warm water than it will in cold water.^{[2]
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- If you are slicing multiple pieces of fruit, be sure to double or triple the honey and water amounts as needed so the fruit can be completely soaked in the mixture.
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3
Pour the honey and water mixture over the fruit.
- Make sure that all fruit slices are completely covered with the honey and water mixture.
4
Allow the fruit slices to soak in the honey and water mixture for 30 seconds.^{[3]
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5
Drain the honey and water mixture from the bowl of fruit, or remove the fruit from the bowl. Your fruit slices will now appear bright and fresh-looking for up to 8 hours.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Lemon Juice and Water

1
Place your fruit slices into a medium-sized bowl.
2
Mix together 1 tbs. (15 g) of lemon juice and 1 cup (128 g) of water.^{[5]
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- If you are preparing multiple slices of fruit, double or triple the lemon juice and water amounts as needed so all fruit slices can be completely submerged in the mixture.
3
Pour the lemon juice and water mixture over the fruit.^{[6]
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- Make sure that all the fruit slices are completely covered with the lemon juice and water mixture.
4
Allow the fruit to soak for a total of 5 minutes.^{[7]
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5
Drain the lemon juice and water mixture from the bowl of fruit, or transfer the fruit to another container. Your fruit slices will now appear fresh for up to several hours.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Salt and Water

1
Place your fruit slices into a large bowl.
2
Dissolve 1/2 tsp. (2.46 g) of salt into 4 cups (512 g) of water.^{[8]
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- If you want to keep your fruit snack as healthy as possible, use sea salt instead of table salt. Sea salt is minimally-processed compared to table salt, which is often heavily bleached and processed.
3
Pour the salt and water mixture over the fruit.^{[9]
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- Make sure that all the fruit slices are completely covered with the salt and water mixture.
4
Allow the fruit to soak for 5 minutes.^{[10]
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5
Drain the salt and water mixture from the bowl of fruit, or move the fruit to a separate container. Your fruit slices will now appear fresh for up to several hours.^{[11]
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Community Q&A

Question

Is there some thing called fruit fresh?

Community Answer

Yes there is, and it is a produce protector to help keep fruit fresh longer.
Question

Can you use lime instead of lemon?

Community Answer

Yes, lime and lemon are quite similar, and both of them have vitamin C, which helps in keeping the fruits from browning.
Question

Is it possible to use the honey method with an avocado?

Community Answer

Avocado is a very soft, and rather savory fruit. To keep it from going brown, I would recommend spritzing or lightly tossing the avocado meat in lime juice or a little salt solution rather than soaking in the honey solution.