Did you know that applying a little bit of lemon juice to sliced apples helps to slow down the browning process and makes them last longer?
It's true, according to one dad on TikTok. Plus, it's so easy anyone can do it in just a few seconds. Here's how.
The scoop
The hack, shared by TikTok user Dad's Finds (@dadsfinds), is so simple that it only requires a single lemon and a toothpick. Once you have those (and some sliced apples, ready to be treated), you're ready to go.
@dadsfinds This one worked surprisingly well! #lemonhack ♬ original sound - Dad's Finds
Grab the lemon and hold it vertically with the pointy part of the lemon facing up. Next, take the toothpick and poke a hole down through the top, creating a small hole for lemon juice to be squeezed out of the lemon.
After removing the toothpick, gently squeeze the lemon and roll it between your hands to break up the inner membranes so more juice can be extracted.
Finally, hold the lemon over your presliced apples and carefully squeeze it to cover the apple slices with lemon juice.
Putting lemon juice on apple slices prevents the fruit from oxidizing (turning brown), so you can spend less time worrying about your snack turning an unappetizing color before you get the chance to eat it.
Bonus: This hack also keeps you from needing to buy a plastic container with pre-squeezed lemon juice at the store, which was actually the primary inspiration for the video.
How it's helping
While brown apples are still safe to eat, many people avoid doing so because they don't look fresh. Hacks such as this one that help to prevent or curb food waste are a great way to make sure all that money you spend on groceries doesn't go to waste. According to ReFED, the average American lost $759 on uneaten food in 2022.
Plus, it's better for the planet, too.
Food waste is a big problem, with Feeding America estimating that nearly 40% of food goes unsold or uneaten annually. When that waste gets sent to dumps, it produces planet-warming methane. That's because it ends up buried and loses access to oxygen — a critical element in the breakdown process that creates compost. Without oxygen, food rots and generates methane gas as a byproduct.
On the bright side, reducing food waste in your home is one of the easiest things you can do. It can also have a huge effect on the cooling of our planet. Properly storing food to keep it fresher for longer and using recipes with food scraps or leftovers to avoid sending excess waste to landfills are great ways to reduce household food waste.
What everyone's saying
Users in the comments of the TikTok were left stunned and impressed by every part of the hack.
"Wow," one wrote. "I've never seen this!"
"Mind. Blown," another said.
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