Summertime isn’t possible without your favorite fruits. Make this summer a fresh one by following a few simple steps to better fruit and vegetables.
You always want to make sure you wash your fruits and vegetables before eating. It is just as important as washing your hands. You want to get the most out of your fruits and vegetables without the bacteria and pesticides. When omitting this simple and easy step you could put anyone that eats the fruit and vegetable at risk of an illness. Your local supermarket may rinse the produce off or have ready to eat fruits pre-packaged. However, you should still wash all of your fruits and vegetables. Before you eat that non-washed produce just take a second to think of all of the people who have handled it before you purchased it . All of their hands are adding more bacteria and germs to your produce. Your probably saying…’Eeww that’s GROSS!’ Yep, it is.
Although, we can not prevent others from touching our produce (only in a perfect world!) there are solutions to help elevate the risk of becoming ill as a result. Instead of spending a ton of money on the produce wash that you can buy from your grocery store. You can use the simple steps below that will put you well on your way to gaining all the vitamins and minerals that come along with clean fresh fruit.
DIY Fruit & Vegetable Wash
Things you will need:
1 cup of White Distilled Vinegar
1 spray bottle (large enough to hold 4 cups of liquid)
A large bowl
Instructions:
Pour 1 cup of white distilled vinegar into the spray bottle. Add 3 cups of water and shake well to mix ingredients. Spray all smooth skinned fruits & veggies (ex. apples, tomatoes, etc.) with solution from the bottle to cover the entire surface of the fruit or vegetable (4-6 sprays). Using your hand to rub the solution over the skin of the produce. Rinse produce with cold water, while rubbing your hand over the skin to remove any vinegar. Pat dry with a clean dry towel before eating or slicing.
For leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach. Pour 1 cup of white distilled vinegar in a bowl, add 3 cups of water. Dip the produce into the solution about 3-5 times. Remove, rinse with cold water, and pat dry with a clean towel before serving.
All other green vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli can be washed and clean with the same method. Instead of dipping the vegetables you would soak them for 2 minutes before rinsing with cold water and patting dry before serving.
Warning: It is best to wash your fruit and vegetables before you consume them. Most fruits and vegetables will spoil faster once pesticides have been removed.
Cookie & Crumb 