Essential Tips On Washing Your Produce

The saying goes “A little dirt don’t hurt”, and when you’re eating organic you can freely chow down knowing that your produce wasn’t grown using harmful synthetic chemicals. But that doesn’t mean you have to spice up your meals with soil. Here are some quick tips to clean your produce and greens!

1. use cold water and soak

Cold water will freshen up greens, bring some crispness back into produce, and get rid of any pesky critters that may be clinging on to your produce. Delicate produce, like berries, might only need a quick soak to be ready to eat.

2. make your own produce wash

Organic produce washes can be purchased from the store but you can make your own mix with staple household items. Here are some of our favorite blends:

• Water with 2 tablespoons salt.
• 1 parts vinegar to 4 parts water. You can also add in a tablespoon salt.
• 2 tablespoons of baking soda, water, and 1 tablespoons lemon juice (the baking soda can be a good abrasive for hard rind produce like carrots, cucumbers, or squash)

3. wash produce just before eating

Dirt can be good in the long run. It can provide protective barrier from the environment and the extra moisture can make your produce spoil faster -- especially with berries.