What to do if the yam turns black after peeling

Yam is a root vegetable that people like to eat the most. However, it grows underground, with a lot of soil on its surface and some fine hairs. Usually, people like to peel off the skin of yam when eating it, but often after removing the skin of the yam, they find that the white flesh inside is turning black quickly. What's going on? And how can we prevent yam from turning black after peeling it?

Why does it turn black?

Want to know what to do if the yam turns black after peeling? You must know why it turns black. The color of the yam turns black after peeling, mainly because the enzyme substances in the yam undergo an oxidation reaction after encountering oxygen in the air. After the oxidation reaction occurs, brown pigment and melanin are produced, which will quickly turn the white flesh of the yam black.

What to do if you turn black

1. Clean the mucus

As we all know, yam contains a large amount of natural mucus, and most of the enzyme substances it contains are present in these mucus. To prevent the yam from turning black after peeling, you should clean the mucus that seeps out of its surface in time after removing the yam skin to reduce their contact with oxygen in the air, which can effectively prevent the yam from turning black.

2. Soak in clean water

If you want to prevent yam from turning black after peeling, the best way is to peel the yam, cut it into slices, and then soak it directly in clean water. This is because the oxygen content in clean water is relatively low, and the mucus it contains will decrease after being diluted with clean water. The enzyme content will then effectively inhibit the oxidation reaction, and the symptoms of blackening of the yam will no longer appear.

3. Salt water cleaning

Washing the yam with salt water and removing the skin can also effectively prevent oxidation reactions and reduce the occurrence of darkening symptoms. This is because salt water can effectively remove the beautiful substances on the surface of the yam and reduce their activity, so that they will not undergo obvious chemical reactions after encountering oxygen in the air, and will not produce melanin, and the yam will no longer turn black.