Kitchen Cleaner Series: Buying Produce and Washing It

A produce box from last summer

Whether you get your produce from a store or delivered to your door from the farm (like me!), it needs a wash!! At some point, it was growing, out of the ground, next to bugs and dirt, and goodness knows what else!!

Produce from the Store
If you don't have the privilege of shopping at a Farmer's Market or getting your produce in a CSA box of some sort, then, I'm sorry. Truly fresh produce is amazing, period. But, you have to live with what you have, right? Anyways, if you buy your produce at the store, I highly suggest organics. According to the EWG, two-thirds of produce samples recently tested by the government had pesticide residue in them!! AHHHHH!! Their full report explains that children are more susceptible to the toxins in pesticides, which have been linked to "pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems." Adults can suffer from similar problems, especially with prolonged exposure.  What can you do?
Educate yourself by learning about the EWG Dirty Dozen Plus and Clean Fifteen--the 12+ types of produce with the MOST pesticides, so you know which foods to buy organic, and the 15 types of produce with the LEAST pesticides, so you can buy those conventional, if needed. At the top of the Dirty Dozen list are apples and strawberries. Leafy greens are also on the list. Avocados, sweet corn, and pineapple are at the top of the Clean Fifteen list. The EWG even offers an app with a simple list of these foods on it, so you'll always have it for reference at the store. Just search "dirty dozen" or "Environmental Working Group" in your device's app store for the free list. You can also get current news emailed to you by the EWG and a PDF version of the pesticide report to save on your device when you don't have an Internet connection. Follow the link at the beginning of this paragraph to read more about this, subscribe for updates from EWG, or download the PDF report/list.

Produce from the Farm
Just because you get a CSA box, buy local, or have produce delivered from a farm, doesn't mean they don't use harsh pesticides. Do some serious research before you subscribe to anything or purchase at a Farmer's Market. Look for the USDA Organic certification label or ask about it. Farmers are usually willing to tell you about their farming methods. If you can buy from a farm, do it! Here's why:

• Supports small, family businesses
• Eliminates the "middle-man," which means more profit for the farmer, better prices for you, and fresher produce
• Longer-lasting, fresher produce because it doesn't sit on a truck or in a fridge before you buy it
• Looks and tastes better

Also, produce delivered to you is even better because you don't have to spend your time at the store trying to pick the best produce--the farmer does all that for you!! There are several produce delivery systems here in the Central Valley of California, but I use Farmer and the Dale because you choose exactly what you want in your box and can change it each week. Romaine lettuce from my box lasts over a week!! Usually, that's the first thing to rot if you get it from the store.


Washing Your Produce
In Heather Dessinger's ebook DIY Non-Toxic Cleaners, she suggests a mixture of:

• Half water
• Half distilled white vinegar
• A little vegetable glycerin (to scrub wax off conventionally purchased produce)
• Optional: a few drops of lemon essential oil

According to her sources, this will eliminate most pesticides on the surface and 98% of bacteria. She explains exactly how to use this in her book, which I won't do here since you should purchase the book, like I did, but you can "play around" with the possibilities above. I often immerse my leafy greens because I find it easier to clean them that way. You'll need to rinse your produce well after washing them, too.

Do you buy organic produce? Why or why not? How do you feel about buying organic produce or other organic products?