A helpful apple hint!

In my newest issue of Taste of Home, I read an interesting hint about apples for snacks, kids' lunches, etc. The author suggested draining the pineapple juice from a can of pineapple (the kind packed in juice) and pouring it over sliced apples in a zip-top plastic bag. Shake the bag well to be sure all the apple slices have been coated with the pineapple juice. The author said that the apple slices would stay fresh and crisp for days in the fridge this way.

I just had to try this, as I had just opened a can of pineapple chunks, and I just happened to have 5 or 6 apples in the crisper drawer. I washed the apples -- 3 Granny Smiths and a couple of Fujis --well with fruit and veggie wash and cut each unpeeled apple into about eight chunks, not slices. As I cut them up I placed the apple chunks into a gallon-size zip-top freezer bag. It seemed to me that the freezer bag, being heavier, might stand up better to this task. Then I poured the pineapple juice over the apples, sealed the bag and shook it well to coat the apple chunks.

I was really pleased with how this worked. It was so nice to have apples all cut up and snack-ready. Mr. T also took a snack-size container of the apples in his lunch one day. And we used them as a meal accompaniment (in lieu of fruit salad) on another day. I had cut up the apples on a Wednesday and they were still in great shape on the following Monday. So I highly recommend this helpful idea! I do think that perhaps another time I would use a covered plastic container rather than the zip-top bag, just to make it easier to remove the apple chunks as needed.