How to Properly Wash Fruits and Vegetables

 

 

I came a cross this concise and useful article featuring tips for washing vegetables. It was originally published on the Country Living site and was written by Christopher Michel. Here are highlights from his post:

1. Wash your hands. Use soap and scrub those hands for 20 seconds both before and after handling fresh produce.
2. Wash all produce. Even if you’re going to peel them, you want to rinse your veggies. That keeps dirt and bacteria from transferring onto your knife or cutting board. (This includes vegetables with rinds and skins, like avocados and melons.)
3. Plain water will suffice. You don’t need to use soap, vinegar, produce wash or anything else. In fact, in a study by the University of Maine, water performed just as well as produce wash at removing bacteria and fungi, without leaving a residue.
4. But you need to rub. To make sure the veggies are clean, gently rub them with your fingers. For firm fruits and veggies such as potatoes, melons, cucumbers, etc., you can use a clean vegetable brush (not the one you use for your dishes).
5. Dry the produce. Use a clean cloth or paper towel, and get all the moisture off before storing or cooking. This will further reduce any bacteria.
6. Remove leaves. For items like cabbage, you can remove the outermost leaves.
7. Cut away visible damage. This may seem like common sense, but the FDA also recommends cutting away any visible damage or bruising before preparing or eating your fruit as well.

To read the full article (which also covers the best way to actually wash berries, CLICK HERE