Do You Always Wash Your Produce?

[Fern]

I've always wondered about this.

I wash my produce, and worry about residual pesticides on those fruits and veggies that i don't/cant buy organically.

But i wonder, for instance, if restaurants do that. I always suspected they don't bother, cus who would ever know?

Anyone who has worked in the food industry who can answer my question?

[PRICEPLUS]

I'd like to think that better places so that. Field hands don't go potty and wash their hands all the time. Sometimes people go right in the fields. If I thought a place did not wash the veggies and fruit first I would not eat there!

[frugalista]

Well, if ti's fruit and veg, most restaurants wash and PEEL the food.

Me, I wash my produce in cold water, scrub off the mud but eat the food whole as much as possible - less waste, and more of the goodness is retained that way.

[markio26]

i wash my veggies in a lil palmolive dish detergent and lots of water... then i rinse in cool water.
i also, use lemon juice or vinegar with lots of water and i rinse well in cool water.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Originally Posted by PRICEPLUS

I'd like to think that better places so that. Field hands don't go potty and wash their hands all the time. Sometimes people go right in the fields. If I thought a place did not wash the veggies and fruit first I would not eat there!

That's a good point! & might I say EWWW!

I myself try to wash my produce even if I just rinsed it off in water.

[cschin4]

No, I hate soggy lettuce. I usually just peel off the outer layer and eat as is! Uh, oh...do you think they will call the food police?

[rob62521]

I guess after this week's recent spinach e coli scare, this may be a moot question!

[PrincessPerky]

most of my produce is frozen, so please don't tell me if their isn't an industrial washer doing its thing before I get to it!

but for fresh yes I wash it, as for restaurants, the ones I worked in didn't get fresh like unprocessed, they got the bag lettuce and stuff..except tomatoes, and no I dont' think anyone washed those before cutting (fotunatly I don't like fresh tomatoes)

[yummy64]

I wash lettuce and other greens, grapes, berries etc.

I don't wash bagged lettuce.

I don't wash apples and pears ( do rub them though)

I don't wash onions unless after I peel off the skin there is dirt.

[shelbylovesmelby]

The new e-coli outbreak has me concerned about buying anything bagged anymore other than for the convience factor of it all.

[PauletteGoddard]

Two weeks ago I started washing my CSA produce with Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds.

[flash]

Always rinse. But this e. coli thing is not good. They are the major provider for all the organic packers. Restaurants, well, hey, that's how hepatitus and how many other things are spread; no matter the quality of the restaurant, it only takes one newbie to make everyone sick.

[neldafairley]

I can't imagine eating veggies if I hadn't washed/rinsed them off first.

Nelda

[fairy74]

Always, yucky stuff on my food creeps me out!

[payless4power]

Yes, I definately wash mine, you never know how many times they have been handled etc. I wash them with stough called: fresh wash. It works great !

[disneysteve]

Keep in mind that washing does not eliminate E. coli or many other harmful things.

[GoodBuyGirl]

I have been known to eat baby carrots right out of the bag but everything else gets washed.

[ktmarvels]

I usually try to rinse my produce before eating it, DH isn't quite as good about it (although he's improving) so there are times when we eat unwashed fruits and veggies.

For those that are interested I found an article on how to clean fruit and veggies the 'proper' way.
NPR : Lettuce Learn How to Wash Produce

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Yes, of course. Increasingly, I also peel vegetables and fruit that I used to eat with skins on. Zuchini, eggplant, and apples for example. I hate the waxes, oils, and acrylics that are used to moisture seal vegetablessand I believe this also seals in some pestcide residue and germs that would otherwise wash off.

I grow a some of our produce organically, and I normally wash these ,too, though sometimes I will eat something right in the garden without washing it. Mmm...a ripe juicy tomato or peach, warm from the sun! A cool snow pea just 18 inches from the vine to my mouth! A few delicate sugary strawberries gathered on my way out to the car to go to the post office! A few yellow fennel blossoms, ah, mmm, so delicious as I stand there taking a break from picking beans or greens! I'll take the risk....

[baking23]

I wash everything with just water. If I wanted to kill germs I'd have to cook it in some way.

Something I do want to start doing is dunking my apples in boiling water to get the wax off. I hate the waxy feeling on apples.