Will lemon juice keep bananas from going brown once they are peeled and sliced?

Answer 1

I don't know about bannanas, but it works for apples!

Answer 2

I always thought lemon juice kept apples from going brown.

Q:Why do bananas turn brown and rot? How can you keep them fresh? Heather Smith, Cocoa State, FL

AskFN: Bananas turn brown and rot for the same reason other fruits do: they get old. Once a banana reaches maturity, its cells go into accelerating decline. It's a natural part of the aging process: cell membranes become permeable; cells leak enzymes; enzymes mix with plant compounds called phenols, and together, when exposed to oxygen, you get a browning reaction. Clear examples of this can be seen in cut apples or sliced avocadoes. With apples and avocadoes, this browning reaction can be arrested by the simple trick of squeezing lemon juice over the cut fruit. This trick may offer a clue to one reason why bananas, once ripe, are so quick to brown: they are naturally low in acidity.

Storing bananas in the refrigerator will only accelerate the browning reaction. Like most tropical fruits, bananas prefer warm weather. Refrigerator temperatures cause the same cell breakdown that old age does. In the trade this is known as chill injury. Keep bananas out of the fridge until they're good and ripe, and then refrigerate them. The cold keeps them from ripening further. Ideally bananas prefer about 55 degrees F. But unless you've got a wine cellar, room temperature is your best option.

-Food Network Kitchens

Answer 3

Actually any citrus juice will work. Try making a citrus salad (ambrosia) with oranges, grapefruit, apples and bananas making sure that you get all the fruit juice in the salad. You'll notice that the bananas and the apples will not turn brown.

Answer 4

Yes, I always but lemon juice on my fruit salads because it keeps the bananas from turning brown so fast.

Answer 5

Yes it will help, we used orange juice in the hotels when we put out breakfast buffets. The sliced bananas were sitting next to the sliced fresh fruit and cereals.

Answer 6

Yup, or lime juice works just as good.

The acid in lemon or lime stops the chemicals in other fruits from oxidizing and turning brown, although there is nothing actually wrong with it.

Answer 7

Yes- anything acidic will. You can use any type of citrus juice and sometimes I even use 7-up or sprite If I don't have citrus fruit around.

Answer 8

Yes!

Answer 9

I've heard that it does