Recipe(tried): Treating fruit to prevent darkening

You can, but it won't work as well. Can you get vitamin C tablets ? You can crush them.

The most common treatment is ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Ascorbic acid may be used in its pure form or in commercial mixtures of ascorbic acid and other compounds. Browning can also be halted temporarily by placing fruit in citric acid or lemon juice solutions or in sugar syrup. However, these measures are not as effective as treatment with ascorbic acid in its pure form.

After they are cut or peeled, apples, and other light colored fruit (pears and peaches) will begin to turn dark due to oxidation. To prevent this, as you prepare the fruit for canning, or cooking place in a holding solution made from ascorbic acid or vitamin C tablets. Tablets contain filler, which may turn the water cloudy, but it is not harmful.

Ascorbic acid powder can be purchased at health food stores or drugstores. It prevents darkening while enhancing nutritional value of apple recipes without changing flavor. Commercial ascorbic acid mixtures can also be used. Read the label on the container for the amount to use.

Although lemon juice adds slight lemon flavor and may not be as effective, bottled or fresh lemon juice can also be used at a ratio of 1/2 cup per 1/2 gallon water.