Salt water is the trick for browning apples

Salt water is the easiest lemon-free way to keep sliced apples and pears from browning.

The browning is just oxidation — an enzyme in the fruit reacting with air. Lemon juice works because acid slows that reaction down. But plain old salt water does almost the same thing without making everything taste like citrus.

Mix about half a teaspoon of salt into two cups of water, soak the slices for a few minutes, then drain and pat them dry. Rinse them if you’re worried about the salt taste, though the amount that actually clings is barely noticeable. They’ll stay fresh for several hours in a lunch box.

If you want another option, honey water works too: two tablespoons of honey in one cup of water, same soak-and-drain routine. Or dissolve a crushed vitamin C tablet in water — that’s literally the active ingredient in those fancy “fruit fresh” products you can buy at the store.

No need to get complicated. A quick brine before packing is enough.

Future you grabbing a snack bag won’t regret the extra two minutes.