Tired of Browning Produce? Prepare to Be Amazed!
If you’re tired of fruit turning brown prematurely, you’re gonna love this post!
Fruit-Fresh from Ball is a handy product that helps protect freshly cut produce from turning brown fast – and without changing the flavor!
But does it work on apples? Guacamole? Read on for all the different ways I use this product, and try it for yourself!
Sliced produce turns brown naturally when exposed to air.
Those brown spots (also known as fruit rust) are caused by oxygen in the air reacting with the plant enzyme polyphenol oxidase.
Ball Fruit-Fresh contains citric acid that helps protect the fruit from browning for about 8 hours (according to the label). To use it, sprinkle it right on the fruit or make a solution with a little water and then coat the fruit fresh after slicing.
Fruit-Fresh is perfect for packing lunches.
I know my kids aren’t as likely to eat sliced apples in their lunch if they turn brown, so this is a great option to onlinebat that issue. But even if you slice apples for fruit salad or fruit trays for entertaining, this is a great product to have on hand!
Yep, I realize pineapple juice or lemon juice can yield similar results for apples.
I like this solution a little better than those because I don’t have to open an entire can (or keep lemons/juice on hand). You can just keep Fruit-Fresh in the pantry.
Fruit-Fresh is also used onlinemonly for canning fruit, making pies, and also for dehydrating fruit (which makes sense since it’s in the canning supplies aisle at most big-box retailers or grocers).
Fruit-Fresh keeps fruit photo-ready, too!
Making food look delicious is a priority for me as a food blogger. I remember once photographing a caramel apple dip, and the apples were almost turning brown immediately. Yuck.
I actually came across this tip about using Fruit-Fresh while reading food photography/styling articles. It definitely makes sliced fruits look more appealing for a longer period of time.
Here are some suggested uses for Fruit-Fresh:
- Fresh Produce: Sprinkle ½ tsp onto 1 cup sliced fruit or vegetables and toss.
- Fruit Tray & Salad: Mix 2 tsp in 3 Tbsp water and toss with up to 1 quart of sliced fruit or vegetables. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Serve within 6 hours.
- Guacamole/Dip: Stir 2 tsp into ingredients for each cup of dip.
- Recipes: Mix 3 Tbsp to 2 quarts of water and add sliced fruit or vegetables. Drain. Prepare recipe.
- Canning or Freezing: Add 1 tsp to each cup of liquid in the recipe.
- Freezing: Mix 1 Tbsp with each quart of sliced fruit, or mix 1 Tbsp with 1 cup sugar for each qt of sliced fruit.
- Dehydrating: Mix 2 Tbsp to 2 quarts water and add fruit. Drain and pat dry. Prepare recipe.
Fresh-Fruit works for keeping guac fresh overnight, too!
I was curious if Ball Fruit-Fresh slowed down the browning process on fresh guacamole. I was a tad skeptical, so I did my own experiment!
On the left, I added the Fruit-Fresh, and on the right none was added. They were both covered in the fridge. You can see how the guac without it, on the right, turned watery and brown after 8 hours in the fridge. The one with Ball Fruit-Fresh is still green and fresh looking.
How did Fruit-Fresh work on avocados and apples?
I sprinkled Ball Fruit-Fresh on avocados and apples and left them on the counter for 4 hours. There’s a noticeable difference between the left side and right side (the left side has the Fruit-Fresh.) It’s interesting how the avocado with Fruit-Fresh is turning brown about half as fast as the one without!
The consensus? I’ll continue to use Ball Fruit-Fresh! So far I’ve successfully used it on apples, pears, avocados, guacamole, and bananas.
Try it and let me know what you think!
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