Fruit and Vegetable Wash

I’ve always washed my fruit before eating it. Washing your fruits and vegetables before you eat them is an important step to remove germs and dirt, but there is no need to buy a commercial fruit and vegetable wash, instead you can make your own! It’s easy and effective.

We live near many commercial fields of berries. When we drove by and saw the mountains of flats waiting to be filled – and close by were the porta-potties for the field workers – I realized just how important it was to wash your fruits and vegetables.

It’s one thing when you have your own garden but when you don’t know who is picking your vegetables and fruits they should be washed. Research has shown that tap water is just as beneficial as the commercial washes and dish soap. The most important factor for reducing pesticide residues is the friction of rubbing the produce under running water. But what about the soft skinned and delicate fruit and vegetables? Soaking in diluted white vinegar is a great way to reduce bacterial and fungal contamination.

Here is a recipe for a fruit and vegetable wash you can make at home for soaking those tender fruits and vegetables.

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Ingredients:

White Vinegar
Sea Salt

Directions:

Rinse produce under cool running water for 1 minute making sure to thoroughly scrub firm skinned produce.

Clean your sink or use a large bowl and fill in with 4 cups of water.

Add 1 ½ cups vinegar and 1 Tbsp. of slat and stir to dissolve.

Soak think-skinned produce (like berries and leafy greens) for 5 minutes and firm skinned (apples, squash for 10 minutes then rinse under running water.