Homestead mailing list

[Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com>]

SISU! wrote:

> Okay canners of the world, which do you think works better to protect
> fruits like pears from discoloration, a salt solution or an ascorbic
> acid (like lemon juice) solution?
>
> Bev
>  
From the beginning, I've used salt and vinegar to soak apple slices for 
drying.  I just add both to the water until it barely tastes salty and 
sour.  The ingredients are certainly low-tech.  I only did it because I 
read about it somewhere, but the apple slices come out delicious and 
light-colored.  The store-bought ones are puke by comparison.  I think 
any acid prevents discoloration by deactivating enzymes, but vinegar has 
the extra virtue of evaporating away completely.  The purpose of the 
salt is different.  It's like the saline solution in an IV drip.  Pure 
water draws flavors and sugars out of a cell by osmosis, so providing 
some dissolved solutes in the soaking water equalizes things, and the 
juices stay put.

Bill
S. Oregon coast