How to Prevent Fruit From Turning Brown
Most fruits do not have a long shelf life. When you buy them at the produce store, farmer's market or pick fruit in your backyard, you have little time to consume them before they turn brown and end up in your trashcan. While fruits can be preserved to lengthen their freshness, pick fruits and eat them within a short amount of time. It also helps to know which fruits have a longer shelf life, and which ones you should buy ripe. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Do not cut or slice the fruit. Keep the fruit in its whole form until you are ready to eat it. Once you cut open the fruit you expose it to oxygen, which hastens the browning process.
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Store most fruits in the refrigerator. Strawberries, grapes, plums and citrus fruits should remain refrigerated at all times for maximum shelf life. According to the Virginia Cooperative Extension, ripe fruit is best preserved between 35 and 40 degrees F. Other types of fruits, such as pears, bananas, avocados and melons, should be ripened at room temperature before storing them in the refrigerator. Beware that refrigerating bananas causes their peels to darken and brown, but the fruit of the banana remains light.
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Keep refrigerated fruits in a separate compartment within the refrigerator. The peels and skins of the fruits can absorb odors from other items, which alters fruits' taste.
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Coat sliced fruit with citrus juice, such as orange or lemon juice. Citrus juice helps to preserve the freshness of the fruit and slows the oxidizing process that turns fruits brown. Cover sliced fruit with plastic wrap or keep it in a storage container after coating with the citrus juice, if you do not plan to eat it right away.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not eat spoiled fruit, as you risk suffering an adverse reaction from the bacteria that grows in the mold.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
