Why does salt water slow down oxidation in apples?
Fresh cut apples turn brown when iron-containing chemicals inside apple cells react with oxygen in the air. Salting is used because most bacteria, fungi and other potentially pathogenic organisms cannot survive in a highly salty environment, due to the hypertonic nature of salt. Any living cell in such an environment will become dehydrated through osmosis and die or become temporarily inactivated. What I understand is that salt removes the water from the surface of the apple therefore making the apple less likely to absorb air, thus absorb less oxygen and slow down the oxidation process. It will then take longer for the apple to turn brown.
