Why do apples turn brown/red after cutting and leaving them in room temperature for a bit?
In: Chemistry
When an apple is damaged and exposed to air, a chemical in the fruit known as polyphenol oxidase reacts with the oxygen to form pigments called melanin. This protects the apple from further damage by functioning similar to how blood platelets work in animals. It doesn’t affect the taste or safety of eating the apple at all.
Fun Fact: This melanin pigment is the very same that determines skin color in humans.
Oxidation. The exposed flesh from the apple starts to oxidize when exposed to the corrosive oxygen in the air.
Latest Answers