BUCKHORN CLIFFS

Food · Formula · Book recipe 12.3

Ascorbic acid dip to keep cut fruit and vegetables from browning

The moment you cut into an apple, pear, or peach, the exposed flesh starts turning brown.

Member articleHandle with careWorks without power

How it works

Dissolve
Soak fruit
Drain & pat dry
No browning

Inside this article

What you'll need
Steps
Warnings
Storage and shelf life

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  • The method at a glance: dissolve, then soak fruit, then drain & pat dry, then no browning
  • The exact numbers: dip, soak, after, standard, batch
  • The full materials list (1 items, with grades and substitutes)
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  • The hazard box and the caution notes: what never to mix it with and when to stop
  • Storage and shelf life for the raw compound and the finished mix
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Prefer paper? This is Recipe 12.3, page 74, in Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide.

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

How do I keep apples from browning before dehydrating?

A brief soak in an ascorbic acid solution stops browning. The acid works as a reducing agent, turning oxidized compounds back to their colorless form before brown pigments develop.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

How much ascorbic acid per quart of water for fruit?

The dip is a very dilute solution of food-grade ascorbic acid in cold water, following the National Center for Home Food Preservation concentration. A little powder treats a large volume.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

How long do I dip fruit in ascorbic acid?

Only a brief soak is needed, just long enough to protect cut surfaces until you process the fruit. Drain and pat it dry before moving on.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

Can I reuse an ascorbic acid dip?

The solution loses strength as the ascorbic acid gets consumed, so a fresh batch for each large round of processing gives the most reliable protection. Mixed solution does not keep.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

Can I use crushed vitamin c tablets to treat fruit?

Food-grade ascorbic acid powder is the right choice. Crushed tablets can carry binders, fillers or sweeteners that affect the produce.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

Keep going

Read nextAscorbic AcidVitamin C in shelf-stable powder form. A daily supplement that also stops cut produce from browning, preserves food, and removes the chlorine taste from treated water.Compounds and Cleaning · Compound

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Food · FormulaSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Recipe 12.3, p. 74 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

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