Vitamin C against blackening
You've probably heard of this tip: to prevent fruit or vegetables from turning brown or black, simply add or sprinkle lemon juice over them.
It's very effective, but why does lemon juice have this effect?
It's very effective, but why does lemon juice have this effect?
Last modified on: July 14th 2023
Vitamin C against blackening
Well, that's because it contains vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant, not the lemon itself or its acidity.
Let's imagine you want to make a fruit purée, for a sorbet or a fruit coulis, pears for example: you peel the pears, remove the cores and blend the whole thing, it's very simple.
The problem is that the pear purée will oxidize very quickly and change color, while the taste will not change (or only slightly), but it will be less appetizing.
Here's the trick: add a pinch of vitamin C to your fruit purée (as you blend), and the result is spectacular.
Finally, a few examples of fruits and vegetables where vitamin C works wonders: avocados in guacamole, raw peeled purple artichokes (soaked in water with a pinch of vitamin C), strawberry or apricot coulis, etc.
As a general rule, whenever you have to soak something (vegetables or fruit) to prevent browning, systematically add a pinch or two of vitamin C to the water. You'll be amazed at how effective it is.
To sum up: a pinch of vitamin C in a preparation is highly effective in preventing the browning of fresh produce.
Let's imagine you want to make a fruit purée, for a sorbet or a fruit coulis, pears for example: you peel the pears, remove the cores and blend the whole thing, it's very simple.
The problem is that the pear purée will oxidize very quickly and change color, while the taste will not change (or only slightly), but it will be less appetizing.
Here's the trick: add a pinch of vitamin C to your fruit purée (as you blend), and the result is spectacular.
Finally, a few examples of fruits and vegetables where vitamin C works wonders: avocados in guacamole, raw peeled purple artichokes (soaked in water with a pinch of vitamin C), strawberry or apricot coulis, etc.
As a general rule, whenever you have to soak something (vegetables or fruit) to prevent browning, systematically add a pinch or two of vitamin C to the water. You'll be amazed at how effective it is.
To sum up: a pinch of vitamin C in a preparation is highly effective in preventing the browning of fresh produce.
Lasts posts
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".April 25th 20251,2855
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...April 10th 20251,6225
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.January 27th 20253,153
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...December 25th 20243,6265
The little trap of thick cream
When you need to add cream to a recipe, you might be wondering: thick (heavy) cream or liquid cream? In most cases, there's no big difference: you can use either. But there is one exception, and that's when the cream needs to be cooked, for a sauce for example, and here the difference between...December 13th 20243,6735
Other pages you may also like
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...June 16th 2021140 K4.5
Circles vs. moulds tins
If you like to bake or make quiches, pies etc. you must surely have one or more pie pans at home, in different diameters and perhaps materials. They are indispensable, without them there is no way to make beautiful pies, and they work very well, but you have another option, instead of moulds,...October 2nd 202013 K5
The return of the "Norman hole"
You maybe know the "trou normand", this old gastronomic custom typically French which consists in taking a (small) glass of calvados, generally between the last course and the dessert? It's something that seems a bit anachronistic nowadays, having a glass of an alcohol of more than 60° in the...December 18th 202111 K4.8
The "pith" of the cauliflower
When using cauliflower in a recipe, there is a lot of preparation work at the beginning: removing the leaves, taking the tops or florets, etc. It's a bit tedious, but in the end you're left with the best of the cauliflower, ready to be used in your recipe.February 5th 202211 K4.9
Should I believe my oven?
Can you really trust your oven? This is an important question as we are always tempted to take the temperature indicated as gospel truth and, unfortunately, this is rarely very precise. .July 4th 201129 K4.6
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 1 comment already posted on this page