Washing Vegetables and Fruit

chefjlin

chefjlin

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What is the best way to wash vegetables to get rid of pesticides? Has anyone ever tried using hydrogen peroxide or ozone?
 
I use a bit of dish soap and warm water if I happen to have non-organic fruits or vegetables. I do not think hydrogen peroxide would do anything against pesticides because it is just a disinfectant. If you are concerned about bacterial contamination being so bad that soap and water are not sufficient to make them safe, maybe use tht but for pesticides soap and water, or just by organic whenever possible.
 
Washing the veg & fruit only gets rid of contaminants on the surface of the veg/fruit. Most of that is what has been applied to the veg/fruit after it has been picked in order to preserve it.
I certainly would not be considering hydrogen peroxide, ozone or any other disinfectants. Hot water gets rid of most of the stuff applied after picking (such as waxes to citrus fruit, grapes, sultanas, raisins etc),and if I can, I prefer to buy 'dirty; veg that still has soil on it (if it is a root crop that is). Otherwise things like lettuce/celery just get rinsed in cold water.
 
Just water.
Most pesticides are systemic, so they're contained within the body of the fruit and no amount of washing will have any effect.
The surface residue ones are largely not that soluble in water, but with enough volume you'll shift most of them.
If you wash with anything else you do run a small risk of driving pesticides into the surface of the fruit, oxidizing them certainly isn't a good idea!

(I've worked in pesticide residue analysis for nearly 20 Years)
 
I usually just soak my vegetables in tap water for a while, and then drain them off. There was a time when I would also add some salt to the water. I think that is a good disinfectant too.

When it comes to fruit like oranges or grapefruit, I would wash them with some water and dish washing liquid. Any fruit that I do not peel like grapes or apples, would be washed with tap water only, but thoroughly.
 
I soak my vegetables in warm water or rinse them. The only thing I keep the skins are potatoes and I have to like the look of the skin or I will peel it. Most items I buy are pre-packed so they should be fairly clean, but I always rinse everything. Mushrooms can be a bit harder tot get all the soil off so I tend to soak them for quite a while and then scrub them as a chop them.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Washing the veg & fruit only gets rid of contaminants on the surface of the veg/fruit. Most of that is what has been applied to the veg/fruit after it has been picked in order to preserve it.
I certainly would not be considering hydrogen peroxide, ozone or any other disinfectants. Hot water gets rid of most of the stuff applied after picking (such as waxes to citrus fruit, grapes, sultanas, raisins etc),and if I can, I prefer to buy 'dirty; veg that still has soil on it (if it is a root crop that is). Otherwise things like lettuce/celery just get rinsed in cold water.
Click to expand...

We like to buy 'dirty' veg if we can as well, easy to wash and you know it hasn't travelled far so it should be relatively fresh.
 
There used to be a product on the market called "Fit" which came in a spray bottle, and was supposed to help wash off stuff like pesticides and waxes and other stuff applied to fruits and vegetables. It might still be around, but I don't recall seeing it any time recently. There is also an iodine solution that some people use to clean stuff like lettuces and other produce. It's supposed to help protect against E Coli contamination, and I've heard it's more commonly used in areas such as Mexico where they have different regulations regarding the handling and transportation of produce. You basically just add a few drops of it to some cold water then soak your product in it for a bit, then rinse it off.
 
Most times I just use water for my fruits. If it leafy vegetables or vegetables that I have peel, I don't it makes any sense but I sometimes let them sit in some salt water and then rinse when I am ready to use them. I think I picked that up from an old lady. Anyway, once the subject was brought up I found a lot of interesting reading on the subject. Looks like we ought to use that vinegar more.

http://goodgreenhabits.com/wash-your-fruits-veggies-with-vinegar/
 
I certainly have never tried using any chemicals on my fruits and vegetables. I usually just use water, rinse them thoroughly about 3 times and that's it.
It's interesting reading about the other ways one can wash fruits and vegetables though.
 
If you are concerned about pesticides, you should be buying organic produce and if possible growing some of your own food.

I don't think anything is more effective than water or water/salt, water/vinegar. I would not want to eat anything that had been washed in detergent or chemical cleaner. That would be no better than consuming pesticides.
 
I like to soak my fruits and vegetables for a few minutes rather than just rinsing them. Of course some don't do well being soaked, like mushrooms. But I once soaked some grapes - the water was filthy, dark, full of residue at the bottom. After I saw that I've been soaking everything ever since.
 
I never bother doing anything more than giving my veg a quick rinse before I peel it. With fruits, I only tend to eat bananas and citrus, both of which get peeled anyway. When I do rinse though, I only ever use water - I cannot see the point of using more chemicals to remove chemicals and I don;t really fancy ingesting hydrogen peroxide or dish soap!
 
I've only washed/scrubbed vegis and fruits in water, no matter where they came from. My parents would like to buy me baby spinach or kale in the big boxes that say they've been triple washed or whatever. I thought it was okay to just eat from the box because of that, but my parents reprimanded me because they said I should wash it no matter what the product says. So I've gotten into the habit of washing everything despite labeling, though it makes it a bit more aggravating when I want dry vegis!
 
When it comes to cooking I am very meticulous. I am always organized and I always want to wash very well the ingredients of the foods that I will be using for my cooking. And with regards to fruits and vegetables I soak it first in water with salt and vinegar for hours and then afterwards rinse it very well with water. I know that somehow through this method of washing it will remove some of the chemicals, pesticides and bacteria in these stuffs.
 
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