How to wash your produce

The majority of the produce I buy is organic as I’m acutely aware of the amount of pesticide used in today’s farming practices. There are numerous studies that show pesticide exposure can dramatically increase the risk of Parkinson’s in those with a genetic predisposition.

But let me be very clear – organic produce is not pesticide-free. Organic produce is just free from the most harmful synthetic pesticides, such as glyphosate. Therefore, think of organic produce as containing “less pesticide” than it’s the conventional counterpart.

 

So that begs the question – how do you properly wash all your produce then?

For years I added a splash or two of vinegar to a large bowl of water and let veggies soak in that. Unfortunately, most studies have found that unless your vinegar to water ratio is 1:3, you’re simply wasting vinegar.

That means for a large bowl of about 6 cups of water you’d need a full 2 cups of vinegar. Most people are adding nowhere near this amount. And even then, vinegar is only marginally better than using tap water on its own. For those using expensive commercial produce washes, studies have also found that those are negligible in additional benefit as well.

The best thing you can do to wash fresh produce is to soak it in a bowl of water and rub it or scrub it, depending on the durability of the vegetable or fruit. It’s been found that water on its own will significantly reduce pesticides as well as dirt, debris, and other bacteria. Now, if you’d like to add vinegar, by all means, go for it. But just remember that a tablespoon or two is not impactful. The most important thing is simply a good soak in water.

If you’re interested, here are more myths and truths about washing produce. Read Here (Fox News)