Cleaning your fruits and vegetables properly before eating is important to remove any unwanted germs or pesticides that may still be lingering on your fruits and veggies. Here are some tips to help you clean and prepare your produce effectively.
- Do not use any chemicals such as soap to clean your produce. Instead, rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cool running water, regardless of whether or not you are planning to peel them.
- For veggies with a firm outer surface such as potatoes, use a vegetable scrub brush to clean them. This will help remove any unwanted or hard-to-remove germs.
- Remove any bruised or damaged areas on the surface of your fruits and vegetables with a paring knife. Bruised or damaged areas can often attract harmful bacteria. Make sure to clean your knife with soap and warm water before using it again.
- For produce with multiple parts, such as broccoli, cauliflower or lettuce, soak them in clean cold water for approximately two minutes.
- Place delicate produce, such as raspberries, into a colander and spray with water to clean them.
- Any pre-washed produce such as lettuce, carrots, etc., do not have to be re-washed, as long as they are in a closed or sealed container.
- Once you have finished cleaning your fruits and veggies, it is important to thoroughly clean your kitchen surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner and a microfibre cloth, to remove any bacteria that may have transferred from your produce to the counter.
