Wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them
No one already did it for you
I will confess, many years ago I was guilty of adding vegetables to my cooking without washing them first. I felt It was a harmless shortcut. My thought process went something like ” they wouldn’t let these be sold if they had something on there that was harmful” and “it will be hot enough during cooking that anything on there will be killed”.
To some extent, my thinking was a sign of the times. When we started cooking, we were not being reminded every day that germs are out there, waiting to get us. But at some point it became logical to me that, yes, germs and bacteria and all kinds of other creepy things, are living the good life on that innocent looking green pepper. And unless I wanted these undesirables swimming in my sauce, I needed to evict them. Since that light bulb moment, I have been rinsing those unwanted guests down the drain with plenty of very warm water.
Think about where it has been
Just think of how many people handle your fruits and vegetables before they find their way to your kitchen. There are those hands that pick them in the field, and those that pack them for shipment, those hands that got them on and off the truck during transport, and still more hands putting them out for you to buy in your produce department. Where have all of those hands been?? ?
You could avoid getting sick
When I hear on the news that some kind of food product has made people sick I wonder just how many people got sick and didn’t have to go to the hospital before they figured out what the culprit was? Now more than ever, washing your fruits and vegetables before you eat or cook with them, is something you should be doing.
Nature’s bounty is supposed to be good for you. But when it is covered in pesticides, sprayed with wax, sneezed and coughed on, you have to wonder if the good is outweighing the bad.
But fear not, unlike some other things in life, there IS a simple fix. Wash, and wipe the bad stuff off. One of the best reasons to cook dinner at home, is so you know what’s in the food you are eating. Not washing your produce totally defeats that purpose.
Have your wash cloths and tools close by
It’s definitely true that old habits die hard. But the good news is that good habits grow on you pretty quick. Make a habit of washing the yuck off, instead of eating it.
There’s a bowl on my counter with things that I use only for washing fruits and vegetables. I also keep a clean towel nearby to wipe after I wash. Some produce should get a good scrubbing, like potatoes, or celery. And some other produce like scallions, or tomatoes can only tolerate a rinse and a gentle wipe. That’s why my bowl has a variety of things to wash with.
And let us not forget another trusty washing tool, that won’t fit in my bowl; a colander like the one in the feature picture. There are fruits and vegetables that you can’t scrub and dry, like green beans, broccoli, berries. Toss them around gently in the colander under warm running water and rinse thoroughly.
This is my “food washing stuff” bowl, but it doesn’t look like this in real life. I used this post as my excuse to get new stuff. Usually most of my cleaning tools look very overworked.
The dish towel is there because drying with a clean towel finishes the job that washing started.
When all is said and done, you aren’t adding much time or effort to your task. You are just killing two birds with one stone. After all, you are already at the sink washing your hands before you cook…..Aren’t You ???? 🤨