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Just like the habit of washing hands before meals, washing fruits before eating is also a necessary step for us. But many of us hold the thought that the fruits and vegetables will be cleaned after being flushed a while under the running water, and the high cooking temperature will kill most of the harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, our thoughts are not facts. Not to mention, some of us prefer a salad.
Think about it, when you are in the grocery store, you might often pick up a fruit or vegetable to check if it is ripe, and then put it back. While you are passing the shelf arrayed with agricultural products, you might sometimes brush them unconsciously out of boring reasons. So many people might have the same behavior, which can leave different kinds of bacteria on the surface of the fruit and vegetable. Besides, when farmers harvest mature fruits and vegetables on the farm, their hands might have touched something else, such as the rotten soil, the pesticide sprayer, or the picking machinery that has not been cleaned for a long time. As a result, fruits and vegetables might have been stained with many bacteria that are not easy to remove before they are transported to the grocery stores.
You may consider organic products are a safer choice, for their cleaner developing environment. Before this thought sets root in your mind, read this information from a Scientific America article: “Even if the organic food you’re eating is from a farm which uses little to no pesticides at all, there is another problem: getting rid of pesticides doesn’t mean your food is free from harmful things. Between 1990 and 2001, over 10,000 people fell ill due to foods contaminated with pathogens like E. coli, and many have organic foods to blame. That’s because organic foods tend to have higher levels of potential pathogens.”
It also mentioned that: “the reason for the higher pathogen prevalence is likely due to the use of manure instead of artificial fertilizers, as many pathogens are spread through fecal contamination. Conventional farms often use manure, too, but they use irradiation and a full array of non-organic anti-microbial agents as well, and without those, organic foods run a higher risk of containing something that will make a person sick.”
So, after all this information, you must guess what we want to say to you—wash your fruits and vegetables carefully! However, we expect that you can do more than flushing.
We have collected some useful vegetable washing tips.
#1 Use light brine
Rinse the vegetables at least three to six times with running water, then soak them in salt water for one hour to remove residual pesticides. After that, flush them once again.
#2 Alkaline washing
Put a pinch of alkaline powder and sodium carbonate in the water, stir the water before putting the vegetables in it, soak the vegetables for 5 to 6 minutes, and then rinse them with clean water. Baking soda can do the job as well if you don’t have alkaline in the kitchen, but the soaking time should be extended to about 15 minutes.
#3 Use boiling water
Scalding vegetables with boiling water can remove 90% of residual pesticides.
#4 Disinfect with sunlight
Sunlight on vegetables will decompose and destroy part of the pesticide residues in vegetables. Studies show that when vegetables and fruits are exposed to sunlight for 5 minutes, the residues of organic chlorine and organic mercury pesticides will be reduced by 60%.
#5 Use filtered water for washing
To avoid secondary pollution of fruits and vegetables by water sources, make sure to use filtered water. There are residual chemical substances such as chlorine, metal substances such as lead, unpleasant odors, or other pollutants in tap water. If there are many wrinkles on the surface of vegetables or fruits, such as broccoli and grapes, the residual substances in the tap water may be stuck in the gaps, and the solid contaminants cannot be eliminated even after high-temperature cooking. Filtered water can avoid this safety hazard.
For a kitchen, the most convenient water filtration system is, of course, a faucet filter or a sink drain filter. The faucet filter system can be screwed on the end of the water outlet or located between the waterline and the faucet. The installation of the under-sink water filter requires some efforts, but it is quite space-saving hiding under the sink. Both solutions can provide you with cleaner water whenever you turn on the tap. Clean and safe water will not only guarantee your health but also help protect your hand skin.
Clatterans water filters offer an easy way to get clean and healthy water. They can remove 99% of contaminants and help improve the pH value of water. They are reliable in quality and filtration capacity. More and more water filtration systems are available at Clatterans.com now. Choose one that perfectly matches your needs.
