Vitamin C against blackening


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?
6,789 5/5 (2 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:TipsTricksVitamin CBlackeningBrowningOxidationAntioxidant
Last modified on: July 14th 2023
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
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.

purée de poires

Here's a photo of a pear puree made 5 minutes ago: in the glass on the left, the puree on its own; in the glass on the right, the same puree with a pinch of vitamin C.

vitamine C

Vitamin C can be found in pharmacies, and you need to ask for some "for food use", i.e. non-aromatized lemon or orange, or in stores for the food trade. It's not very expensive, and you take a pinch each time.

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
Travel cakes
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 20251,799
The aromatic power of sugar
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 20242,1035
The little trap of thick cream
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 20242,9125
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
Sauce and salad: When and how to mix them?
When dressing a salad, there's a kind of golden rule: add the dressing very shortly before serving, especially if your salad contains crunchy elements such as croutons or fresh vegetables, which will retain their crunchiness or crispiness. But, as is often the case in the kitchen, there are...
November 29th 20243,0965
No need to boil gelatin
No need to boil gelatin
Gelatin is a magical ingredient for making light, creamy, structured desserts, yet it's often misused in the kitchen. A common mistake in some recipes is the idea that it needs to be boiled for it to work properly, but this is a mistake indeed: gelatin melts at a much lower temperature, around...
November 21th 20242,8755
Other pages you may also like
Soup vs. potage
Soup vs. potage
It's true that we're finally coming out of winter as I write these lines, and that we'll all be making, no doubt, a little less soup and potages, but even if it's out of season, it really is a simple and delicious dish, which is one of the always easy answers to "What's for dinner this (Sunday)...
April 9th 20226,697
It's spinning too fast!
It's spinning too fast!
When you need to grate or slice vegetables, you generally use an electric machine that does all the work: a food processor, a mixer with a "slicer" extension or similar. Are these machines really suitable? Generally speaking, yes of course, but there's one criterion that often poses a problem,...
November 12th 20237,8635
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .
February 7th 2017126 K 14.1
85 grams of eggs?
85 grams of eggs?
Some time ago, I already spoke to you about the difference between baking and pastry-making, I emphasized, among other things, the precision of pastry-making which requires grams, cm, degrees and minutes. That's why, on the one hand, you have baking and cooking, where a certain tolerance is...
November 26th 201849 K4.6
Should I believe my oven?
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
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing
The 1 comment already posted on this page
  • Thanks for this useful post. Never knew this about Vitamin C; lemon juice is what I was taught but now will get some powder as I don't always have a fresh lemon at hand.
    Posted by Lena july 19th 2023 at 11:58 n° 1
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.
I am not a leaving thing
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.

Back to top of page