Best 8 Vegetables You're Probably Washing Wrong Recipes, News, Tips And How-Tos (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to wash delicate fruits and vegetables like strawberries or tomatoes? ›

Under running water, rub fruits and vegetables briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms. If immersing in water, a clean bowl is a better choice than the sink because the drain area often harbors microorganisms.

Rinse produce BEFORE you peel it, so dirt and bacteria aren't transferred from the knife onto the fruit or vegetable. Gently rub produce while holding under plain running water. There's no need to use soap or a produce wash.

Like other vegetables, broccoli can harbor a host of contaminants. "It's important to wash any vegetables, as they can carry Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria,” registered dietitian Chelsea Edwards tells Southern Living. "Not washing your produce increases the risk of one of these foodborne illnesses."

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.

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.

Some vegetables that you do not need to wash before cutting include mushrooms , potatoes , onions , and garlic . These vegetables have a protective layer on their skin that helps to keep out bacteria and dirt . Washing them before cutting can actually remove this layer and make them more susceptible to contamination .

Soaking and spraying are the two common methods for washing produce. Use a soaking method to clean softer produce or leafy greens and use a spray solution to clean firmer-skinned vegetables. Below, we outline these two methods of cleaning fruits and veggies so you can serve your customers safe, fresh foods.

The prevailing idea is that it removes pesticides, protective waxes and microbes, and will keep your produce fresh for longer. Unlike washing fresh produce with soap or disinfectants (which can leave residue and cause gastrointestinal disturbances if consumed), washing fruit with vinegar is totally safe.

To draw the “broccoli worms” out of the broccoli trees, you need to soak it in a sink of cold water to which you've added 1/4 cup of salt and 2 tbsp of vinegar. You will need to keep the broccoli heads submerged in the water for at least 20 minutes.

Fresh broccoli should be stored in the refrigerator. However, it's important to avoid crowding your broccoli. Broccoli is sensitive to ethylene gas. Trapping broccoli in tight spaces can speed up the process of this gas breaking down the fresh vegetable, causing it to go bad faster.

Should I wash cauliflower? ›

The separated florets have to be washed properly under a tap. This removes dirt and large parasites such as worms. The next step is cleaning the cauliflower in mildly warm water in which a little salt was dissolved. This process – which should last 10-20 minutes - destroys several microbes and large parasites.

In a white vinegar solution: If you know your broccoli heads have aphids or cabbage worms, you can kill them with a solution that is ten percent white vinegar and ninety percent water.

Soak Your Produce in Salt Water

Mix together 1 part salt and 9 parts water in a clean bowl or sanitized sink. Then add the fruits and vegetables you want to clean. Let the produce soak for 20 to 30 minutes. Doing this will help remove most of the pesticides, and has been shown to draw out bugs as well.

Smell: If the broccoli has a strong odor or an off smell, throw it out. Texture: Broccoli should have tight florets and a firm stem. If the florets are wilted, or the stem displays cracks or dryness, then it's a sign they've lost too much moisture and the broccoli is going bad.

Step 1: Add about a tablespoon of salt to a bowl of warm water and let it dissolve. Step 2: Place the strawberries in the salt water and let soak for about five minutes. Step 3: Rinse the berries clean and they're ready to eat.

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.

You dunk strawberries in a water bath made with 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water, drain them, then dry them as thoroughly as possible. Food52 suggested drying them in a salad spinner lined with paper towels for added insurance that they would get dry, so that's exactly what I did.