I've been hearing about different methods of removing bacteria and pesticides from fresh fruit and vegetables. Many believe that vinegar is effective for this so I did a bit of research and in case this interests you I will try to condense what I learned.
A mixture of 3 parts plain water to 1 part vinegar can be useful although a certain amount of soaking is needed. Plain old water is 98% effective in most cases but make sure your sink (if that's where you're cleaning them ) is very clean. I normally use a large bowl for washing mine so I can dump the water on any thirsty plant ( I don't use vinegar or I wouldn't do this).
This next part I copied directly from the internet...
If you are going to cool and sanitize your tomatoes you will need to do more than simply run the fruit under cold tap water. In fact, that is the worst thing you can do. You will need to dip or soak your tomatoes in water that is the temperature of the tomatoes that you just picked. So, if it is 85°F outside, the internal temperature of your fruit will be about 85°F. When preparing your cleaning solution, the water must be at the same temperature as the tomato. We realize that this seems odd, but if the water is cooler than the fruit the drastic change in temperature will cause the tomato to actually draw in or suck in through its pores water that surrounds it. It is a great way to get microorganisms into your fruit that will ultimately cause a fruit rot. After you clean and sanitize your fruit, place them in a cool area somewhere around 55°F. With tomatoes, never place them in your refrigerator. It is too cold in there!
“In the case of strawberries, blueberries and other berries, generally any wetting or direct contact with water is detrimental and will shorten their shelf-life. You should never place any of these into your sink to soak them.
I hope this is helpful to anyone who might be wondering about cleaning produce especially store-bought. I think I'll stick to washing with plain water but I'll make sure I use tepid water, not cold, as I've been doing.
I hope I haven't bored you. If you're still here...thanks for popping in. GM
I learned a lot. Water temp on tomatoes was very enlightening!
ReplyDeleteWe used to use 4 parts water and one part bleach at a child care facility that I worked at...it got soaked and then rinsed well. I soak most everything except the fragile berries...I wash them before we eat them:)
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm really a mess, all I ever do is give my fruits and veggies a quick rinse under running water!
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the water temperature. I usually just run things under the water.
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever wash fruit or vegetables, unless they have actual dirt on them. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI remember being told when I washed eggs to use warm water. If using cold, the innards of the egg may shrink slightly and pull bacteria etc through the porous shell. Using warm would case the innards to expand instead of contract.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting! A good advise for me with my big kitchen! It is a fine idea to give the water after washing the fruits to the plants.
ReplyDeleteI learned so much in this short post. Thanks! I only wash strawberries just before eating them.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
Before we went on a 12 night boating trip, I briefly rinsed strawberries from the garden in a sinkful of cool water with some vinegar (definitely not a 1 to 4 ratio). I let them dry well on a tea towel and they lasted most of the trip (until we ate them all). The information about water temperature for tomatoes is interesting. I tend not to soak them anyway.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I use a large bowl for washing fruits and vegs. I never feel like my kitchen sink is clean enough. That is interesting about the tomatoes. Your flowers(last post) are so pretty. You have lots of different lilies. Your daughter-in-law sounds like my daughter. I could sure use her help for a day to update my blog. :)
ReplyDeleteit's wonderful to know how to care for the bounty of this earth!:)
ReplyDelete