Seltzer Water Keeps Apples From Browning

Fresh, crisp apples are great for baking and perfect for that afternoon snack, but one thing's inevitable: They start to brown immediately once you cut into them, and that's not an appetizing sight for anyone. While dunking apple slices in a lemon solution is a well-known method for preventing apples from browning, we've got another hack that will help keep those slices fresh.

Soak apple slices in seltzer water to keep them from browning.

Apples and other fruits, like pears, oxidize once the inside flesh is exposed to air and oxygen. An effective way to prevent oxidization is by submerging the apple slices in seltzer water for about 10 to 12 minutes. In order to keep the slices from floating, cover the bowl with a paper towel soaked in the seltzer solution.

We put this theory to the test and soaked some apples in seltzer water and some in lemon water for 10 minutes; we also left some slices out without submerging them. After 10 minutes, there wasn't much difference between the slices in lemon water versus those in the seltzer water, though the ones that weren't submerged were noticeably browner. The verdict: Seltzer is a great alternative if you don't want your apple slices to taste like lemon.