Today, we're talking about washing produce. Always wash your produce. No brainer, right? I thought so too, but I can't tell you the number of times that I have seen people ask if produce is organic and then begin eating it without washing it. Just because it doesn't have chemicals does not mean you can skip washing it. You don't know what that produce has touched before it gets to you. You don't know who has touched it before it got to you. Take a U-Pick for example, it's organic, you're picking it, should be safe, right? What if some other picker went to the bathroom, did not wash their hands, went to pick your fruit and then decided against it. . . now those dirty hands have touched the fruit you're about eat without washing. I know this example seems extreme, but it could happen and the bottom line is you can avoid foodborne illness by using safe food preparation practices.
Okay, time for me to step down from my soap box. Before I get down though, I'm giving you a recipe for a produce spray that I found on, you guessed it, Pinterest. The vinegar and lemon in this spray have natural anti-bacterial properties.
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp baking soda
1/2 of a lemon
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a container and then put in a spray bottle. **Do not put in a spray bottle and shake to mix. Remember from school, baking soda+vinegar=volcano/blowing up balloons/chemical reaction?** Spray mixture on produce and let sit for 5 minutes. Scrub and rinse.
**I've had weird reaction with peaches. . .I think it had something to do with the type of skin. . .but I have used this with cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, grapes (i.e., things with a waxier-type skin) without any weird reactions.**
Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!
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