How to avoid browning your fruit/vegetables

There is nothing worse then brown fruit it does not matter if you are canning ,cooking or making a simple fruit salad "Brown Fruit Sucks" Now granted it does not taste different but it does in my mind. When you are preserving fruit it does make a hugh difference.


This will work for potato's also.


Here are three ways to avoid the brown fruit.

A.  My favorite  is to soak them in a bowl of cool lemon water. What you can do it have a bowl of lemon water ready when you are slicing/cutting your fruit for jam and as you cut put the prepped fruit in the lemon water. It takes 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water. Remember we use lemon in our preserving most jam so the taste goes right along with the party!

See the fruit behind the fresh cut it had no lemon juice it is starting to brown. The fruit in the measuring bowl was put in lemon water then allowed to drain for a few minutes now jam time!


Let us talk Anti-darkening agents. There are a few but I do not use them. I am not all Nanny Natural or anything but if I can avoid chemical's where ever possible I do. These are thing's that do work and I think if your good with it use them.

B.  Sprinkle your fruit with Fruit Fresh it made for preserving and has citric acid powder that prevents the browning. I have not used it persoanlly the word Citric Acid gives me the willies.

C. Ascorbic Acid is the best anti-darkening agent. Here are three forms of this powder.

1. Pure powdered form - use one level teaspoon per gallon of water
2. Vitamin C tables - buy500 milligram tablets: crush and dissolve 6 tablets per gallon of water
3. Commercially prepared mixes of ascorbic acid and citrus acid - follow the manufactures labels directions.

I have not given a site to purchase them because I have never tried them  but I am sure they are good and safe.

Here are a couple of links I used for information The Yummy Life and Fantastic food from Purdue University.