The Club Soda Trick To Keep Fruit Slices Crisp And Fresh
Have you ever brought fruit salad to an event, only to find that your apple slices are brown and your banana slices are becoming limp? You no longer have to worry about this common problem, thanks to a viral fruit hack.
Cookbook author Nicole Keshishian Modic shared a brilliant tip for keeping fruit slices fresh and helping them retain their original texture. It's not difficult, but it's not something you'd probably think of off the top of your head. This science-backed trick will seem more like magic when you put it to use — you'll find that your fruit quickly transforms from limp and brown (or in the process of browning) to deliciously crisp and ready to eat. Plus, it has a serious wow factor. The firmer texture will be visible once you're done, and it'll noticeably improve the taste of your fruit. Five minutes and one ingredient you might already have in your kitchen is all you need.
How to make your fruit crisp in five minutes
How exactly can you make your fruit crisper? As it turns out, many club soda lovers are ahead of the game with this hack. For fruit slices, all you'll need for this one is a glass measuring cup full of club soda and (of course!) the fruit slices in question.
Place your slices in the measuring cup with the club soda and set a timer for 5 minutes. While you wait, your fruit will undergo a chemical process that will slow browning and keep them crisp. Club soda has carbon dioxide, but the effects of the reaction are strengthened by potassium bicarbonate and potassium sulfate. The potassium compounds are salty, and with the carbon dioxide, they prevent browning. Although tonic water and sparkling water both have carbon dioxide — which can help keep fruit crisp — they're missing the potassium compounds, which have enough salt to kick the reaction up a notch.
Once your timer winds down, you'll find that your fruit is noticeably crisper than it was when you put it in the club soda, and it may be less brown, too — but does this hack work well on all types of fruit?
Which types of fruit become crispy with club soda?
Club soda can make fruit look firmer and less brown for up to a few days, but can it work its magic on any fruit in your fruit basket? AllRecipies tried this hack on several different fruit types — if you don't have time to do club soda experiments, you don't have to.
Exposing fruit to club soda works exceptionally well on stone fruits, like peaches and plums. This type of fruit can get a little mushy if you slice it and let it sit out for a bit. You may find that the contrast between the soft pre-club soda fruit and the firm texture after exposure to the club soda is extremely prominent. When it comes to apples in particular, you might see some noticeable changes after a club soda soak. Unfortunately, pears don't fare as well after a club soda bath — they turned out mushy — but thankfully, there are other effective methods to perk up your pears. Club soda is the magic ingredient that will transform your fruit from soft to crisp in just a few minutes, and the hack is well worth a try.