As soon as food enters nutritionist Jessic Shand’s home, she begins the “detoxing” process. The super-charged cleaning process—which goes a step beyond giving fruits and vegetables a simple rinse under the tap—not only helps remove harmful chemicals plants are exposed to when growing, but is also a way to remove bacteria and parasites like cyclospora.
If you don’t have time for this routine, Shand suggests removing the skin from fruit and vegetables (obviously, this isn’t always possible). But, she adds, that doing so means you miss out on “gut-feeding fiber and an array of nutrients.” So, here’s what she does instead:
Should you still wash organic fruit and vegetables?
In short, yes. “Toxin exposure is less of an issue with organic fruit and veg, but produce is still handled and exposed to other potential contaminants, so it’s best to wash everything before eating,” Shand says. This is also one of the ways that cyclospora has spread in the past.
Can you trust pre-washed labels?
“Washed and ready to eat” labels seem like a convenient luxury, but they’re actually a way to spread disease. “This includes bagged salads, too. The salad could be washed with an array of toxic chemicals by manufacturers, including chlorine and bleach, so washing off this chemical residue is essential and quick to do.” In the past, triple-washed bagged salads have been directly implicated in E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria outbreaks. So, it’s better to be safe than very, very sorry.
How to clean fruits and vegetables
1. Add all produce to a (clean) sink filled with fresh water (filtered water is even better). Pour in one part apple cider vinegar to three parts water, or just a BIG glug. Apple cider vinegar is rich in anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, making it an ideal natural food source to detox your produce. You could also use plain white vinegar in the same proportions or baking soda, adding one teaspoon to two cups of water.
2. For things with a thicker skin (apples, zucchinis, potatoes), take a vegetable brush, gently brush each piece, then allow to soak for 15 minutes. Finally, double rinse under streaming water to fully remove the vinegar residue. If you’re washing something more delicate like berries, add them to a colander and submerge them in the water for a maximum of five—any longer and they will go mushy.
3. Remove everything from the sink and gently dry using a tea towel. Place berries on a clean tea towel and gently pat them dry to remove excess moisture and allow them to air dry (I usually leave them out for an hour).
4. Transfer into glass containers (not plastic), and pop into the fridge.
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