Apples--tasty, crunchy, sweet--
they're a favorite snack to eat.
Munching slices:
just like play,
and there's no core to throw away.

But cutting apples turns them brown;
then they're not fun to have around.
They get that way out in the air.
That's why the apple
skin is there.

To make slices that
last longer,
scientists make their surface stronger.
But how to keep cut apples fresh
and tasting tip-top:
that's the test.

One team found a spray or dip
with special salts keeps
slices crisp.
The dip itself, it has no flavor, leaving apple taste to savor.

(Click here to learn more about a coating that protects cut fruit and vegetables.)

Calcium turned out to be the key
to make this dip
a reality.
You may find these apples soon
in snack-packs for your
lunch at noon.

Another team makes film so fruity--
for coating apples, to keep their beauty.
This dried puree, wrapped 'round each slice,
keeps cut apple
fruit air-tight.

(Click here to learn about edible film wraps made from fruits and vegetables.)

The wraps can make new
tasty treats--
like cherries on apples and peaches on meats.
We like our apples whole
or in strips.
Now they'll taste good on the longest of trips.

Poem by Kathryn Barry Stelljes, formerly Agricultural Research Service, Information Staff

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