Make Your Own Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Berries and lemons being washed in water

Have you ever wondered if you should make your own fruit and vegetable wash? Someone recently sent me a video about why it is imperative to make sure you wash strawberries well. First though, on seeing the creepy crawlers who spend their lives snuggled into the bumpy terrain of the fruit, particularly at the top and the bottom: Not another strawberry will ever touch my lips.

Skip The Store-Bought Sprays

Okay, that’s nuts, I told myself. I’ve been eating strawberries (confession, on occasion straight from the carton) for decades, and I am here to tell the tale. But in this hyper-aware, wash-and-watch-what-you eat era, I find my tendency to scrub – rather than rinse or do nothing – on the rise. I even own a veggie brush.

HOWEVER, what I have not done is yield to the burgeoning, beckoning commercial vegetable and fruit washes that meet me at eye level, it seems, wherever produce is sold. There’s something about the purchase that would make me feel manipulated. I’m all for shortcuts and the easiest way to do something, but people have been living and thriving forever on produce that didn’t get the carwash treatment, metaphorically speaking.

This is not an argument against taking care to clean anything going into our mouths that will not be baked at a very high temperature. Quite the contrary, even before the days of toxic chemical spray, there was the issue of unwanted protein in the form of six-legged creatures and dirt. Even if organic, it makes for a reasonably disgusting salad topper.

So are commercial sprays and soaks a good thing? A necessary one? In my opinion, about as essential as cell phones for eight-year-olds, but it’s hard to find a more scientific answer. Some sources say prepared washes are no more effective than homemade formulations. Some say soap and water are fine. Others say they do not use soaps or cleansers because they may have chemicals that are harmful if ingested. Some say water does as good a job as anything, and that’s the method I subscribe to.

Make Your Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Recipe Option #1
Place 2 tablespoons of baking soda,1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 cup of water into a spray bottle. Spray fruits and vegetables; leave the mixture for 5-10 minutes. Rinse.

Recipe Option #2
Place 2 tablespoons white vinegar (distilled works best) into a spray bottle,1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 cup of water. Spray the fruit or vegetables. Wipe and eat.

How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables

        • Keep fresh greens, fruits, and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
        • Keep countertops, refrigerator, cookware, and cutlery clean.
        • Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.
        • Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.
        • Don’t wash fruits and veggies until you are ready to eat them. Washing weakens the protective coatings that keep moisture inside.
        • Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.
        • Are you removing the skin? Still wash it. Bacteria from a rind or the skin can be transferred to the edible part of fruits and vegetables from your knife.
        • Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
        • Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.

Fruit Gift Baskets

Our fruit gift baskets have some of the freshest fruits you’ll find. They are picked fresh and delivered to our warehouse often on the same day!

 

 

© Featured Photo by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels