Wash your Fruits and Veggies
Tip Thursday
Washing produce is important to prevent foodborne illness and reducing your exposure to pesticides. For good food hygiene, learn how to wash produce, regardless if it is organic or conventional. When washing your fruits and vegetables, making your own baking soda or salt solution may be the best option.
For leafy greens
- Fill a salad spinner with greens, then fill with water
- Add a teaspoon of baking soda and mix well
- Soak your greens for a minute, swish, dump, then rinse, and spin dry
**If you don’t have a salad spinner, you can add the greens, water, and baking soda to a bowl, let them soak, drain in a strainer, rinse, then pat leaves dry with a clean lint-free kitchen towel or paper towels
For other veggies
- Fill a large bowl or sink with water
- Add a teaspoon of baking soda (If using a sink, increase the amount of baking soda)</li>
- Add the veggies
- Soak for a minute or two
- Scrub with a brush
- Rise off the veggies
For fruits
Smooth skinned fruits, such as apples, nectarines, and cherries, can be washed in a baking soda bath the same way as veggies.
For berries
Berries can be rinsed under cold water in a mesh strainer, then gently patted dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels just before you intend to eat them. However, avoid washing the berries until just before eating to avoid the increase of microflora, and mold.
** Salt can also be used in lieu of baking soda. If you need an easy premix solution, I have used @branchbasics and it works great!
tip-thursday
cleaning
fruits
vegetables