Salt water beats lemon juice for lunch-box fruit

The easiest way to keep cut fruit from browning in a lunch box is a two-minute soak in salt water — half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a cup of water.

It sounds weird, but it works better than lemon juice. The salt messes with the enzyme that triggers browning, and a quick soak doesn’t leave fruit tasting salty. If you’re squeamish, rinse the pieces after soaking and pat them dry. They’ll still stay fresh for hours.

Lemon juice works too, but it adds tartness and kids notice. Honey water is another solid option — about two tablespoons of honey per cup of water. Honey has a compound that does the same trick.

One more move: pack fruits that don’t brown. Grapes, berries, melon, and citrus are basically immune. And keep apple pieces chunky — more cut surface means more browning. An airtight container helps a little, but the soak does the real work.

Nobody eats sad brown apples.