I’ve always washed my produce – organic or conventional – with Environne’s Fruit and Vegetable Wash. Compared to just using tap water to wash, fruit washes seem to make them cleaner…to me, anyway.
But today’s NY Times’s article tell me otherwise. Really???
According to the article, scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000, “tap water “significantly reduced” residues of 9 of 12 pesticides, and it worked as well as soap and wash products, the studies found.” And in 2003, University of Florida’s study on E. Coli on fresh strawberries determined that 10% vinegar solution eliminated bacteria by 90 percent and viruses by 95%.
No kidding!!
Apparently, it’s really the rubbing action that causes pesticide elimination and not the water or the detergent. And when you add 10% vinegar to the action, it kills most of the bacteria and viruses…..according to the article.
Now this DOES NOT mean, I won’t be buying organic fruits and vegetables. I still want to eat sustainably and want my fruits and vegetables to be chemical free and not genetically engineered. But now I know a cheaper and just as effective way to wash them.
10% vinegar solution!
How I wash my produce
I spray produce with the vinegar and rub vigorously before rinsing it. For large quantities, like a bushel of apples or baskets of berries, I fill the sink or a large bowl with water and about 1/4 C of white vinegar, let the fruits soak for a couple of minutes before rinsing.
How do you wash your produce?
Good deal. I am a big fan of vinegar, but to know this now, its even better for me and my family.
darn…spelled “derivatives” wrong…sorry
Hi Karen
We spray all our produce with polar minerals. The polar minerals are highly charged and spraying the produce causes the organophosphates to be traded out for the the minerals. Organophosphates (the arsenic derivitives or arsenates) are in the ground and ground water and therefore, on all organic produce. Soap or even plain water doesn’t do anything to get them off.
Just thought we would share.
Great info, Karen….going ref this on my blog.
Very interesting! I knew that vinegar was a pretty amazing substance, and have used it for cleaning surfaces, but hadn’t thought to use it on fruits and vegetables!
Good to know. Especially since my favorite wash is hard to find locally again. I’m becoming a bigger and bigger fan of using vinegar. Thanks Karen!
Pesticides seep into the fruit which is one reasons to consider organic or locally grown fruit and veggies instead of conventional. I can’t eat fresh fruit due I develop a severe allergic reaction, but I can eat cooked versions of the same fruit which have been washed, peeled and pitted. My grandmother used vinegar as an all purpose cleaner, saying that when used in salads it cleaned your “pipes”. Go figure.