Washing produce?

[Guest]

For those that use a homemade produce wash, what do you use? My dh and I were recently very ill, and it appears to have been some produce that is involved in a voluntary salmonella recall. Regardless of whether or not that was the culprit, I want to wash our produce better. (I have always just rinsed with water...) I have been looking at the vinegar/hydrogen peroxide/rinse method. Is that safe for all produce? Any tips are appreciated!

[rgrin]

:bigear:

[Susann]

I just fill my dishpan with water and add a cup of vinegar. Thrown in the produce, swish it around and let it soak for awhile. I rinse it off and let air dry on a clean towel. Produce lasts so much longer after cleaning.

[Lucy in Australia]

Yes, vinegar + water in the sink. I've heard more than once that vinegar is as good as an anti-bacterial wash (which I'm not about to start putting on our food :glare:) I'm not sure about the hydrogen peroxide.

On a related note, a friend who knew all about how strawberries are grown commercially was very pedantic about washing the strawberries and then drying them carefully with paper towels because of the amount of sprays that remained in the little pits on the strawberries :ack2:

[RoughCollie]

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/fruitsvegetables/foodsafety.html

 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm114299

 

The CDC and the FDA both say to dry the washed produce with a paper towel. I usually either let it air dry or I dry it with a paper towel, but not very thoroughly. I'm going to be more careful about that. I wash and spin lettuce dry and then rinse and spin it again -- I hope that is effective, because I bought the spinner so I don't have to dry it by hand.

Edited August 28, 2012 by RoughCollie

[skeeterbug]

:bigear:

 

Once upon a time I read about rinsing in hydrogen peroxide, I'm curious to find out more.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I rinse mine with a little apple cider vinegar and water in the sink. Air dry on paper towels. Or spin in salad spinner.

 

The vinegar doesn't affect the taste.

[In the Rain]

On a related note, a friend who knew all about how strawberries are grown commercially was very pedantic about washing the strawberries and then drying them carefully with paper towels because of the amount of sprays that remained in the little pits on the strawberries :ack2:

 

This is why I won't buy conventionally grown strawberries at all. I have a friend who used to help workers damaged by the chemicals used on strawberry fields. :001_huh: It is the one fruit I just can't bend on.

[Guest]

I will definitely try the vinegar...anyone else know about the hydrogen peroxide?

 

I am contemplating a salad spinner now, too...my last one didn't work worth beans, but it is such a good idea, maybe I just had a lousy one...

Edited August 28, 2012 by Guest

[xixstar]

I soak in water with some vinegar - no vinegar taste or smell and I'm pretty sensitive to smells and such. I use my salad spinner for soaking because of the great strainer basket.

 

We have the oxo brand I believe and it's good and hefty and gets used all the time. It's the kind with a push down handle, not one of those awful crank versions. :) I don't usually spin out the fruit-veg though, not sure why, just never thought to I suppose.

[Luckymama]

We have the oxo brand I believe and it's good and hefty and gets used all the time. It's the kind with a push down handle, not one of those awful crank versions. :) I don't usually spin out the fruit-veg though, not sure why, just never thought to I suppose.

 

We have the same Oxo salad spinner. It's been used almost daily for more than six years and is still going strong.

[redsquirrel]

We eat a lot of produce here. I have always been worried about salmonella etc.

 

I use dish soap, baking soda and luke warm water. I am talking about things that are firm, like apples or plums, cukes or even grapes. I have a shaker of baking soda by the sink. I fill a dishpan with luke warm water and a few drops of dish soap. I pick up piece of produce. drizzle a drop of more soap and a shake of baking soda. I wash the fruit and rinse it well.

 

If it is soft, but not leafy, food, like strawberries or mushrooms then I do slosh it around in cool soapy water and rinse well.

 

For leafy food that is torn (shredded lettuce, chopped kale) I rinse it well and hope for the best. But, I try to buy 'triple rinsed'. That food often absorbs any water so I am afraid to use soap.

 

I have been doing this for years and years. The food does not taste of soap. It is made to rinse off. Do your dishes taste soapy? If they are rinsed well they should not.

[MiniBlondes]

I, too, use a small amount of dish soap. I am curious about more 'natural' methods as well.

[Hilltop]

I use a tiny amount of Dr. Bronner's soap and water.

[mirth]

The author of barf blog just rinses with water

 

http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/151311/11/11/07/show-me-data-veggie-sticker-made-dissolve-soap-somehow-better-water

[blessed3x]

I use this, and it works very well. :)

 

I spray the fruits and veg's, then let them air dry. I have used it for years.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I use Grapefruit Seed Extract in my neti pot because it is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. On the bottle it lists all other uses that GSE have, one of them is a produce wash.

 

It's good stuff, I bought a small bottle at Whole Foods for less than $10 and I still have it 2 years later.

[LizzyBee]

I've read that washing with plain water is just as effective as the rinses you can buy, so I just wash with water. I'm sorry you got sick, that must have been awful.

[justLisa]

Vinegar sounds really gross. I hate the smell of white vinegar.

 

I have some produce wash that I use when I buy oranges and lemons. And some times apples. I don't wash everything with it. It just gets the filmy or waxy stuff off.

[Susann]

The vinegar is so diluted that it doesn't smell, it's cheap, and kills mold, bacteria and viruses.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/vinegar-kills-bacteria-mold-germs.html