Since we are fast approaching Back to School, I thought I would post a very quick tip to keep apples looking fresh in a lunchbox.
There are lots of methods to try for this but I just tried to find the simplest way to get ‘er done here. This doesn’t require soaking fruit and the flavor that is imparted on the apples is barely noticable.
I simply add a little pineapple juice to a small squirt bottle (these can be found for $.99 in the travel sections of stores like Target) and squirt the sliced apples very generously.
I find the apples keep the same nice color for several hours. I have tried this a day or even two in advance and the apples will start to brown just a little but they still look much nicer then they would without anything on them.
You can also try lemon juice in a squirt bottle but I know some people don’t like that extra tartness. I found the lemon juice did not work quite as well as pineapple. Another option is a citrus-y soda like Sprite. I don’t personally give my children soft drinks so I have not tried that option but I have heard of people soaking the apples in 7-up or Sprite.
The pineapple juice is pretty inexpensive and it keeps in the fridge for awhile. Very easy to pull out and squirt away as you are packing lunches.
One little tip, my children LOVE sliced apples with cinnamon sprinkled on top. No sugar just plain cinnamon- it is one of their favorite treats and an easy way to also mask slight browning on apples.
(The apples above were photographed two hours after cutting and squirting the juice on.)
And since we are talking apples, I wanted to mention a really fast 3 ingredient dip for fruit.
This is reasonably healthy and I actually eat spoonfuls of this straight from the bowl because it is so yummy!
- 1 1/2 cups of plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 table spoon brown sugar
Puree until creamy in a food processor. Serve chilled.
If your little ones are not fans of greek yogurt you can use a flavored yogurt to make it much sweeter. I prefer the plain greek yogurt with sweeter apples- like the Fuji pictured above.
**And you might also try the DIY Uncrustables to get ready for Back to School.
(Recipe adapted from Kathleen Daelemans)
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Do you have to keep them in the juice or can you baggie them up after squirting them.
Diana,
I just spread them out after cutting and squirt away. No need to soak them or do anything else. Once you squirt just pop them in a container or bag and you are all set.
yum that dip sounds good. never thought to add the yogurt to cream up the pb! we love Frontier’s apple pie spice–its sooo good, no sugar either, dont know off the top of my head which spices are in it, but it really makes it taste a little more special
thanks so much for the DIY EVERYTHING. if everyone does it, then companies will be out of biz(i.e. windex)
I love PB and yogurt! I discovered this combination while doing low carb dieting and it is soooo good! I’m sure the brown sugar makes it even better! I’ll have to try this and the pineapple juice trick. Thank you!
Salt works just as well if you don’t have juice on hand!
Just put the apple slices in a bowl of salt water for 20 seconds (mix it around if some slices aren’t fully submerged). Then rinse it lightly with normal water.
There’s hardly any salty taste
Laura, I have heard of that tip too but I haven’t tried it. I just wanted to avoid soaking since I am lazy like that
Is there a brand of pineapple juice that comes in a small container? like a single serving can or bottle? I would like to try this idea but i’ve only seen pineapple juice in 1/2 gallon jug.
Cathy there are smaller cans of Dole but they can be hard to find. Right now I am using lemon juice and that has been working fine for us. That is so cheap and lasts for ages.
I just dip them in orange juice. I also leave them in orange juice overnight or 2 -3 days. It is also a very good base for a fruit salad. I used the orange juice over the apples for my daughters ball games and it kept good even out of the fridge,