Rubber-band the apple, skip the lemon juice

The easiest way to keep cut fruit from browning in a lunchbox is to block the air, not drown it in citrus.

Browning is oxidation. An enzyme in the fruit reacts with oxygen and turns it brown. Acid slows that enzyme down, which is why lemon juice “works.” But the real fix is simpler: don’t expose the cut surface. Cut an apple, press the halves back together, wrap a rubber band around it, done. It looks untouched at lunchtime.

For slices already in a container, dip them in salt water (about half a teaspoon per cup) for a few minutes, or honey water (two tablespoons per cup). Both slow browning and don’t leave that lemon twang. Rinse with cold water if you’re worried about salty kids’ complaints. Cold helps too — an ice pack in the lunchbox slows the enzyme.

Or just pack fruit that doesn’t brown: grapes, berries, melon, oranges. That’s the real pro move.

Brown apples taste fine, but nobody eats them.