Why are my apples not oxidisizng?

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  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    At the very least you could bother to learn what cultivar of apple you purchased.

    There are hundreds of cultivars. Some will be more acidic than others. That acidity prevents them from browning.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Shoot! I just ate an apple. And I ate it so fast I didn't check to see if it browned. I hope I don't pee glow in the dark now.
  • CapnGordo
    CapnGordo Posts: 327
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    i also see it in mcdonald's peeled apple slices, they can days without browning up
    They use citric acid to accomplish that. You can do it at home with a lime or lemon.
  • BeachGingerOnTheRocks
    BeachGingerOnTheRocks Posts: 3,927 Member
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    Shoot! I just ate an apple. And I ate it so fast I didn't check to see if it browned. I hope I don't pee glow in the dark now.

    I did once.


    Monsanto.
  • CapnGordo
    CapnGordo Posts: 327
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    Shoot! I just ate an apple. And I ate it so fast I didn't check to see if it browned. I hope I don't pee glow in the dark now.
    descansaenpazvh9kn9.jpg
  • bokchoybaby
    bokchoybaby Posts: 62 Member
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    Isn't necessarily something in the apple--perhaps it is the conditions under which it was stored. I think the food warehouses all use a gas to retard spoilage (nitrogen, I think).
    That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure if there is any difference in how organic apples are treated but it's not exactly apple season in NY so they've likely been treated somehow.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Isn't necessarily something in the apple--perhaps it is the conditions under which it was stored. I think the food warehouses all use a gas to retard spoilage (nitrogen, I think).
    That's what I was thinking. I'm not sure if there is any difference in how organic apples are treated but it's not exactly apple season in NY so they've likely been treated somehow.

    I suspect that is the answer. Apples, pears and other fruits continue respiration even after harvesting and if they take in oxygen, they spoil. If they are stored in nitrogen, they take in nitrogen, retarding spoilage. They would eventually spoil but it would likely be slowed down depending on how much nitrogen they absorb. Not sure how that would affect nutrition or flavor but I doubt that it would present a hazard.
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    Apples can be stored for up a year before they're sold. Organic, whatever.

    You're eating the last of last year's apple harvest right now.
  • matyoung125
    matyoung125 Posts: 72 Member
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    I think that when cutting an apple in half and leaving it out the limiting factor in it's rate of oxidation is the concentration of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase. Different varieties have different amounts. You can also affect the rate of oxidation with extremes of pH, temperature or by reducing the amount of oxygen present (covering in water for example).

    I'd imagine apples that don't brown quickly are 'desirable' so modern cultivars are bred that have a lower enzyme concentration?

    Try some other varieties of apples if it makes you feel better. I'm pretty sure my apples turn brown!

    It's the same enzyme that makes tea and cocoa brown,
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
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    You can't really breed apple trees. Cross any two apples and you get 10,000 different unique children that have almost no relation to their parents. So you have to just hope.
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
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    At the very least you could bother to learn what cultivar of apple you purchased.

    There are hundreds of cultivars. Some will be more acidic than others. That acidity prevents them from browning.

    Seriously. At the very least. Do it for us.

    Hahaha, nah, you're probably fine.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Shoot! I just ate an apple. And I ate it so fast I didn't check to see if it browned. I hope I don't pee glow in the dark now.

    No way...that would be ****in' cool...especially when you're drunk.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    All apples contain vitamin C.

    Apples from "normal" sources (someone's garden) oxidize super fast. But store bought are just freaky.

    Some apples contain a lot of vitamin C, and some apples contain only a little. GMO apples aren't on the market.

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