3 Ways to be Sure Your Fruits and Veggies are Clean

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I think we may have an inadvertent vegetable theme going on this week. Of course, vegetables are good for us, but all the wax coating and pesticides are not. Even organic vegetables need to be washed, otherwise, we could be digesting harmful chemicals from harvest or transport, or worse, spreading food-borne illnesses. There are a few ways to make sure your produce and work surfaces are all clean.

Clean Your Work Surface

A vegetable is only as clean as the surface you prepare it on. To keep your work surface clean, clean your cutting board after each use. Remember, sponges can bread bacteria as well, the best way to clean a cutting board is with hot water, or in the dishwasher- my personal favorite. ​If you cook with meats, it is important to wash a cutting board with disinfectant before using it again. The best way to reduce the risk of cross contamination is to use different cutting boards for different foods. This is one that I am still perfecting since we store ours, but using different cutting boards can reduce washing time as well.

For a quick clean, ​of your vegetable cutting boards, try a small amount of vinegar mixed with water. 

Washing

There has been a lot of mixed reviews on how to wash your fruits and veggies. In a recent study, veggies were washed with vinegar, soaked in water, and run under a cold tap. ​Researchers concluded that there was no difference between vinegar sprays, soaks, or washing and scrubbing with cold water. To be sure your fruits and veggies are super clean, softly scrub under running cold water and rub dry with a clean cloth.

Storing

Goodness, is this a lesson I am still learning. Storing veggies properly is the difference between keeping veggies healthy and clean for longer, and not. The best way to store clean veggies is in a plastic container. After washing your produce, make sure they are completely dry before storing them. Otherwise, food can mold and spoil too quickly.

There are certain fruits and veggies that should, or should not be kept in the fridge. Keep fruits like tomatoes, melons, bananas, and cantaloupes stored on the counter. Foods like avocados, nectarines, and plums are best to leave on the counter until ripe, then refrigerate. Starchy vegetables like potatoes and squash are best kept in a cool, dry place. Most other foods are best in the refrigerator, including fresh herbs. A great tip I learned for fresh herbs is to clean, dry, then refrigerate with the cut ends in cold water. This will keep them nice and crisp for some time longer!