GREENSBORO, N.C. — You wash dishes, you wash your hands, but it seems overkill to wash your fruit the same way doesn't it? It won't after this...
"When you cut into the melon, if you don't rinse it and cut it, whatever is on the outside is going to go on the inside. Think about where it's come from. It's been sitting on the ground, on the truck, in a box in the supermarket," said Chef Al Romano, GTCC Culinary Arts Instructor.
Even with the veggies looking all nice and organized at your local supermarket, think about how many people's hands have been on them. From the grocery stocking people to the other shoppers.
So, anything fresh needs to be washed. The question is, how?
"I prefer a baking soda soak. It's simple, one teaspoon of baking soda for every two cups of cold water and let your product soak in the mixture for 12 to 15 minutes," said Katie Watts, Cone Health Dietician.
BAKING SODA VERSUS VINEGAR
Consumer Reports looked at the benefits of washing your produce with baking soda or with vinegar.
The benefit of soaking your fruits and veggies in a solution of mostly cold water with a little bit of vinegar is that the vinegar reduces bacteria levels. Use apple cider or white vinegar for a 10-15 minute soak. Then rinse the fruit well.
The benefit of baking soda (besides not having any kind of vinegar smell or taste lingering) is that it removes pesticides. A 2017 study on apples found a baking soda soak of 12 to 15 minutes removed more pesticides than a two-minute soak with a bleach solution.
The CDC doesn't give an endorsement to either one of these methods, but it does say rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables for at least 10-15 seconds should be done.