The Best Way to Clean Fruits and Vegetables

There are many foreign organisms that live on food, some good and some bad. It is important to wash all your fruit and vegetables from the store when you get home. Think about how many people pick up produce and put it back. In their journeys from the farm to the store, a number of hands touch your food. Even if you get organic, there is still a chance of getting bugs, organisms, and pesticide run off on them. According to an article from mindbodygreen.com, below is a list of the top 13 dirtiest and top 15 cleanest fruits and vegetables (from 2015).

Dirtiest Fruits and Veggies:
1. Peaches
2. Nectarines
3. Strawberries
4. Grapes
5. Celery
6. Spinach
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Cucumbers
9. Cherry Tomatoes
10. Snap Peas
11. Potatoes
12. Kale/Collard Greens
13. Hot Peppers

Cleanest Fruits and Veggies:
1. Avocados
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet peas (frozen)
6. Onions
7. Asparagus
8. Mangos
9. Papayas
10. Kiwi
11. Eggplant
12. Grapefruit
13. Cantaloupe
14. Cauliflower
15. Sweet potatoes

Here’s a solution that has worked for our family: vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. A few years ago I was plagued with urinary tract infections. I went to my doctor and she asked if I was eating a lot of strawberries or other fruits. I said yes. She then explained that many fruits, such as strawberries, harbor E. coli and other bacterias in their pits and that it is very hard to clean the fruit completely. I diligently tried to scrub my veggies and fruits, but wasn’t getting all of the bacteria off. A health-conscious friend of mine led me to vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Vinegar cleans the fruits and veggies and hydrogen peroxide removes the bacteria colonies. I have two spray bottles, one red for hydrogen peroxide and one green for vinegar. I spray both on the fruit or veggie (doesn’t matter which is first) and rinse off. Sometimes with grapes or smaller fruits I spray on hydrogen peroxide first, then soak in the sink filled with half vinegar and half water.

You can also use the combination to spray onto your counters after cutting up chicken or other meats, and also on the cutting board.

Spray away the germs, and eat away the good fruits and veggies!

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