This may be the first salad that we’ve made that uses butter lettuce (aka boston or bibb). We used Braeburn apples that were cut in the morning so that’s why they look a little browned. They tasted just fine though. To avoid this, just be sure to cut them right before serving. Or try squeezing some lemon juice on the slices if they are cut ahead of time. And since we are chemistry nerds, we might as well talk more about this thing called oxidation. I actually found the chemical reaction that is occurring in the apple:
(1)
The phenols exist inside the apple’s cells. When the apple is cut, the cells are broken which allows the phenols to react with the oxygen, which in turn form quinone. A series of reactions then converts the quinone to melanin (the same molecules responsible for the brown in a sun tan). These reactions only work in a limited pH range, therefore adding the lemon juice makes the environment too acidic. Lemon also contains ascorbic acid which is an antioxidant (2). Ok, sorry, I know that was way too much chemistry for a salad blog, but hopefully we all learned something. I promise this won’t happen again.
This is adapted from a Taste of Home.
Ingredients
makes 4 servings
- 1 package Bibb or Boston lettuce; or 1 large head, torn
- 2 medium apples, sliced
- 1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Toast the pecans in a fry pan on the stove top, with a little olive oil. In a serving bowl, combine the lettuce, apple and pecans. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.
