Hey there fruit and leaf lovin’ friend!
Do you ever ask yourself, “Do I really have to wash my fruit and veggies?”
If you’re like me, maybe your produce just takes a dip under the faucet for five seconds. We call that the ‘wam, bam thank you ma’am quick rinse’ — don’t feel ashamed — I’ve been guilty of buying a basket of strawberries and snacking on them right away– especially if it’s organic.
Whether you buy organic or not– it’s important to get the germs and chemical residues off of your produce. You can’t just rinse them, you gotta scrub ‘em. So, we thought we would give you two suggestions to help clean your fruits and veggies!
1) Use a homemade produce wash.
Lindsey Johnson, founder of Café Johnsonia, has a simple and inexpensive recipe for produce cleaner that is all natural and contains mostly common household ingredients–check it out on her website! Below is a brief description on how to make the wash and use it.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon organic lemon juice
- 10 drops grapefruit seed extract
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 cup filtered water
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- Mix ingredients together in a pitcher.
- Spray onto produce when you bring it home, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and rinse well.
- Store fruits normally.
- Don’t use mixture for leafy greens. Just use white vinegar and plenty of water to rinse.
2) Buy a produce wash.We’re excited to share with you how to wash your produce with the help of our good friends The Honest Company! We’re partnering with The Honest Company in this sponsored post because their biodegradable fruit + veggie wash really gives you squeaky clean produce.
We were on the hunt for an organic and simple fruit and veggie wash that would make our green smoothie lifestyle easy. The Honest Company sent us their:
- 100% non-toxic Fruit + Veggie Wash Spray
- Eco-friendly (and adorable) bamboo dish brush
- 100% organic cotton dish towels
How to properly wash spinach
For lettuces and other leafy greens, you want to spray, wash and pat them dry.
1. Place your leafy greens in a colander
2. Spray with fruit + veggie wash generously
3. Rinse well with water
TIP: Say goodbye to soggy, spoiled leafy greens! To keep your leafy greens fresher longer, store them in you fridge in an airtight container placed between paper towels. Or freeze them in a freezer-safe bag (yup, you can freeze your leafy greens).
How to properly wash strawberries
Place your strawberries in a colander and rinse water over them (don’t fully submerge them in water).
1. Place your strawberries in a colander
2. Spray with fruit + veggie wash generously
3. Rinse well with water
These delicate berries need a little extra lovin’ to prevent mold, so they last longer. Honest spray helps do just that. Rinse berries right before you’re ready to eat them.
How to really wash an apple
These can be the waxiest of the bunch and since the skin is so full or fiber, you want to scrub these little guys.
1. Spray with fruit + veggie wash generously and let sit for 1-2 minutes
2. Scrub well with bristle brush (we like this one)
3. Rinse well with water
How to get squeaky clean carrots
Root veggies that grow in the ground, like carrots, need an extra scrub to remove excess dirt or hard-to-remove microbes.
1. Spray with fruit + veggie wash generously and let sit for 1-2 minutes
2. Scrub well with bristle kitchen brush
3. Rinse well with water
How to properly wash potatoes
Whether you peel your potatoes or keep the skin on, you want to still wash them well. Even if you’re removing the skin, an unwashed potato can transfer bacteria from the outside of the potato onto the peeled veggie. The same goes for any fruits and veggies that you’re slicing.
1. Spray with fruit + veggie wash generously and let sit for 1-2 minutes
2. Scrub well with bristle brush
3. Rinse well with water
4. Pat dry with a towel (aren’t these ones cute too!)
If pesticides don’t scare you, think about all of the different hands that have picked it up your produce and put it down at the grocery store or Farmer’s Market! Yikes!
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