Hints From Heloise: A clean take on fruits and veggies (2024)

FAQs

Hints From Heloise: A clean take on fruits and veggies? ›

Smooth-skinned produce: Soak them in a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water for at least 30 seconds. Gently rub the skin with your hands under running water, and dry with a clean paper towel. Produce with rough outer skin: Items such as broccoli, potatoes and cauliflower are a little harder to clean.

The US Food and Drug Administration, the US Department of Agriculture and other scientists agree: use a cold water soak with baking soda to effectively help remove dirt, chemical residue, and other unwanted materials from your fresh vegetables and fruits.

Gently rub produce while holding under plain running water. There's no need to use soap or a produce wash. Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers. Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present.

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant. Mix equal parts white vinegar or apple cider vinegar and water. Spritz onto hard or soft-skinned fruits and vegetables, rub in, rinse and dry. It is also effective to put in a bowl and soak the veggies and fruits for a couple of minutes before rinsing and drying.

Before handling fresh produce, make sure your hands are clean. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds (or sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice). Doing this before washing produce is an effective way to remove bacteria present on your hands and helps prevent germs from spreading.

Use Baking Soda

Naturally, it's an excellent solution for cleaning produce, too. Previous studies have shown that baking soda removes 66.7% to 98.9% of pesticides. Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with every two cups of cold water. Douse your fruits and vegetables for a minute, rinse, and enjoy without pesticides.

Both batches of berries lasted a full week without going moldy, but the ones washed in a solution of water and baking soda were noticeably softer and stodgier than those washed in a water and vinegar, which remained firm.

Step 1: Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with four cups of water and stir until dissolved. Step 2: Add the strawberries to the mixture and toss them with clean hands. Step 3: Let the strawberries soak in the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes. Step 4: Rinse the berries clean and then they're ready to eat.

#1: Vinegar Soaking Method

To make a vinegar soak; start with a clean sink then fill it with cold water (alternatively this can be done in a large bowl). Add 1 cup of white vinegar and submerge your fruits and vegetables in the water. Let soak for 15 minutes. Drain the water and give the produce a quick rinse.

Step 1: In a large bowl, make a diluted vinegar bath—1 cup vinegar, 3 cups water—and give your berries a dunk. The vinegar will eliminate any pesky mold and bacteria.

How to clean broccoli? ›

Hold the stem with the broccoli head pointing down. Place the head under cool running water until every part is fully flushed. It's important to use running water, as the movement of the water will remove dirt, says Baker. Pat the broccoli dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Even though our fresh produce is full of things that are good for us, they can still be coated in things like pesticides, bacteria, and mold spores. And washing your produce before eating it. can help prevent food borne illnesses.

Is vinegar or baking soda better for laundry? Vinegar and baking soda do different things in the laundry. Vinegar is more versatile, and since it's a liquid, it's easier to use in a washing machine. Baking soda will get rid of odors, but vinegar can do the same thing—and remove minerals too!

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and a fine abrasive, which makes it excellent at scrubbing as well as absorbing odours. As a mild acid, vinegar is able to dissolve mineral deposits, dirt, grease, and grime.

While you can remove pesticide residues using a soaking solution such as vinegar and water or salt and water, it's not advisable. There's a small risk the chemical reaction between the pesticides and the solution could produce potentially harmful compounds.

Fortunately, common household vinegar is quite effective at killing the mold spores and bacteria that spoil fruit. 1 By washing berries in a mixture of white vinegar and water, you can make your berries last longer in the fridge.