I get ascorbic acid (aka Vitamin C powder/crystals) at the health food store. It's a MUST when you make yeast breads with whole wheat flour/wheat germ - but that's another discussion :-). I also use it as a pre-treatment for fruits and vegetables I dehydrate.

"Fruit Fresh", found in the canning products area of most stores, will also work (2 T. Fruit Fresh to 2 quarts water). Fruit Fresh contains - Dextrose, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Silicon Dioxide.

You can also use citric acid (1/2-t. per quart of water / I also get it at the health food store). Another use for citric acid is for sprouting seeds (alafalfa sprouts, etc.). Pre-treating the seeds with citric acid will help prevent E.Coli.

There are new guidelines for dehydrating and using pre-drying treatments for both fruits and vegetables with an acidic solution. The pre-treatment with an acidic ingredient is encouraged because testing has found microorganisms, such as Salmonella and E. Coli 0157:H7, are hearty enough to survive basic drying methods. This pre-treatment is also encouraged with fruits you are going to make fruit leather from prior to processing it.

Most vegetables require water blanching followed by an acidic solution "bath".

The studies for this were conducted at Colorado State University.

Go back to the link about dehydrating PLUMS, or the link below.

You can probably continue to use your lemon/lime soda/pop dip for apple slices, but I'd add some citric acid or ascorbic acid to the liquid - just to be safe.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: National Center for Home Food Preservation

Thank you..I'll stop by the health food store Monday. I'm sure it would be cheaper at the Co op..but wasn't planning a trip over to the mainland for atleast another week.. And I have a butt(yeah atleast the size of mine!)~snort load of fruits in the house right now, from my Organic Fruit Order..

Terri, as a former owner of a health food store, I just crack open a couple of vitamin C capsules and dissolve the contents into a bowl of water, then slice the fruit into that.

I've also been known to just slice them into a bowl of water with lemon juice, in a pinch.

I think Fruit Fresh is horribly overpriced, so I never buy it.

Annie

I've never bought it either Annie...hmmm vitamin C capsules..I'll look for those..I've only seen them in tablets.

Didn't make it to the health food store...today anyway...