You already know that it is important to eat a clean, healthy diet that includes fresh fruits and vegetables. But do you know how clean your fruits and vegetables are? With a few inexpensive ingredients and a couple minutes of your time, you can ensure that your family is eating produce that is completely clean and safe to eat.
You can purchase a variety of name brand produce washes that will do an adequate job of cleaning your fruits and vegetables, or you can make your own inexpensive produce wash at home. These homemade produce washes clean every bit as well as their store-bought counterparts and cost only pennies to make.
If your fruits and vegetables have not been grown organically, then there may be wax and pesticides you need to wash off of the produce before you eat it. Even organically grown produce needs a good wash before you eat it. Organically grown produce does not have the added wax and pesticides, but you may run across some stray critters with a little dirt thrown in. All produce should be washed and scrubbed well before it is eaten.
White vinegar is a great natural cleanser for fruits and vegetables. Vinegar naturally kills bacteria and will work to dissolve wax on your fruits and vegetables. You can apply vinegar to your produce in several ways.
Spray Bottle Method
One method is to fill an empty spray bottle with half vinegar and half water. If the produce has a hard skin on it (apples, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.), then all you need to do is spray the produce with the vinegar solution, let is set for five to ten minutes, give the produce a good scrub with a produce brush, and then rinse off the vinegar solution.
Lemon juice can also be used as an effective produce cleaner. Combine one tablespoon lemon juice with two tablespoons baking soda with one cup water in an empty spray bottle. Use as described for the vinegar solution.
You can use these sprays on soft fruits like peaches and berries, but rinse the solution off right after you spray it on or the fruit will absorb the flavor of the solution. It is not recommended to use these cleaning solutions on mushrooms, as they absorb the vinegar and lemon juice too quickly.
A note of caution: Whenever you make solutions such as this produce wash and store it in an empty spray bottle, make sure to clearly label your spray bottle and keep it out of the reach of small children.
Sink Method
For large amounts of produce, like fresh lettuce, you can fill your clean kitchen sink part way with water and add about a cup of white vinegar to it. Soak the lettuce in the vinegar solution for about fifteen minutes and then rinse and towel dry.
If you don't have any vinegar on hand you can also use a very small amount of liquid dish soap to wash fruits and vegetables in the sink. Fill your clean sink part way with water and add a drop or two of liquid dish soap. Soak the produce for fifteen minutes, give them a good scrub with a produce brush, and rinse.
Even though it takes a little time and effort to ensure your fruits and vegetables are clean before you eat them, it is worth it to keep your family healthy and free of unwanted pesticides and bacteria. It is better to be safe than sorry. These homemade produce washes are all natural and can easily be made with items you probably already have on hand. Make up a bottle today and it will be ready the next time you need it.
