ARE YOU CLEANING YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES CORRECTLY?

Follow these simple steps to remove harmful residues that could affect your health

24th November, 2019

Are you tempted to eat a red glossy apple when you see one? Do you know it may contain a wax coating to make it look bright and juicy? Colourful fresh fruits and vegetables are a delight to look at in a grocery store or at a farmer’s market. But, while they are loaded with some amazing nutrients, they also come with their own share of microbes and dirt. If not washed well, consuming such fruits and veggies could create havoc in your system, and can even be poisonous.

Here is why you should wash your fruits and vegetables…

• To remove harmful residues: They may contain pesticides, microbes and dirt. Additionally, vegetables and fruits that grow underground carry worms and insects as well.
• To avoid food-borne illnesses: Fruits and veggies undergo a lot of processing and handling before they are ready to be sold to you, increasing the chances of contamination and your risk to food and/or water-borne illnesses.

Here’s a few simple steps to wash your fruits and vegetables correctly…

Step 1

Make sure you wash your hands with warm soapy water. The vessel used should be decontaminated as well.

Step 2

Leafy vegetables: Put your leafy vegetables like corriander, spinach, methi etc. in a bowl of clean water and wash them. Let the dirt settle down in the bowl for a while, then strain and shift into another well-washed bowl.

Thick-skinned fruits/root vegetables: Put them under cold running water and scrub them with a vegetable brush—you don’t want any dirt or contamination on the skin to go inside the fruit or vegetable when you cut it. If you aren’t sure of the source from where your veggies and fruits have come from, peel the skin and have them.

Citrus fruits/berries: Put them in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then dry  with a clean towel to remove further bacteria if any.

Cruciferous vegetables: Soak these in warm/cold or salt water to remove contaminants as they have complex structure and may contain small worms inside.

According to several experts, washing fruits and veggies with just water may help to remove upto 80 percent of pesticides. According to a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, sodium bi-carbonate (baking soda) can remove 96 percent of pesticide residue in 15 minutes due to its alkaline nature.

DIY vegetable and fruit washing tips…

1. Add 1 part vinegar to 2 part water. Soak fruits or veggies for 15-30 minutes, then wash with clean water.
2. Make a paste with 1tsp baking soda and 1tsp water, apply on a large fruit/veg. Or, soak smaller fruits and vegetables in 1 litre of water with 1tbsp of baking soda. In both instances, leave for 15 minutes before washing with clean water.