Wondering how to wash fruit and vegetables effectively? With COVID-19 heightening our caution, learn the best methods to remove pesticides, waxes, and germs. Discover essential tips for clean, safe produce in your kitchen.
Getting down and dirty cleaning fruits and vegetables has always been important, but y’all know COVID-19 has made us allfarmore aware ofpathogensthan ever before.
So, what’s the best way to washfruitsandvegetablesto get rid of pesticides, waxes, critters, and germs? And do you have to washallof the fruit and veggies you bring into the kitchen, or are there some you may skip?
The CDC recommendsscrubbing any produce (even with peels) with water to help reduce bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. Rinsing, at a minimum, is better than doing nothing at all, but the best approach depends on the specificproduceyou’re grabbing for that morning smoothie.
Here are some best practices for how to wash vegetables and fruits once they hit your kitchen.
Is washing produce important?
The best way to prevent any food-borne sicknesses is to cook your produce. But if you’re planning to eat it fresh (mm, summer salads), then giving them a scrub with plain water is your best bet. This includes foods with peels where germs can sneak into the inner parts when you cut into them.
Rinse your produce: The bare minimum
Rinsing your produce under the tap is step one for all fresh fruits and veggies. That also includes organic produce because itcan still havepesticides, bacteria, and other germs lingering on the surface. Here are some tips for a produce shower:
Soak your produce: Ideal for delicates
Soaking produce is another method of cleaning your fruits and veg, especially the more delicate kinds that won’t play well with running water. Here’s how to soak with style:
Scrub your produce: Heavy duty
For produce that can take a bit more of the rough stuff, scrubbing can get more dirt and bacteria off efficiently.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean produce with a rind, skin, or peel I’m not going to eat?
Wash them! In fact, you should take extra care to wash fruits and veggies when you’re going to peel them or cut through the whole fruit or vegetable (includingmelons, citrus, andavocados). If you don’t clean this type of produce first, you might get bacteria from outside the food inside when cutting it.
If you’re going to be roasting the produce in question, you might think it’s okay to skip cleaning it because the high heat will kill any germs and microorganisms that may be present. But there may be some microorganisms thatcan live through it, if you can believe it. We’d recommend cleaning the produce just in case.
How do I clean mushrooms?
You may have heard that it’s not a good idea to washmushrooms, but it’s actually fine to do. Just don’t let them stay in water for a long time because they will start to soak it up. Instead, just dunk them quickly and give them a gentle scrub with your fingers.
Should I use a commercial fruit and vegetable wash?
We know there are many companies that sell produce washes, but we don’t generally recommend them.
According to theU.S. Department of Agriculture, these products are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on foods. The FDA also says people should not use soap or detergent because they could end up eating leftover soap and get sick.
Don’t make cleaning fruit and vegetables harder than it has to be. Use clean water and sanitized surfaces, and gently stir with clean hands or use a clean brush to get rid of any bacteria or germs on more hardy veggies. Then, enjoy your clean produce in abig ol’ salad.
