Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Washing Your Produce Is Worth The Extra Effort!
We usually assume that food borne illness only comes from meat and seafood. However, we’re increasingly seeing outbreaks caused by produce items such as romaine lettuce, melons and cucumbers. Believe it or not, there is an easy solution: washing under cold running water! This simple rinse is sufficient to remove microbes, pesticides and dirt. Soap and bleach may seem like a good idea, but they can leave residue that makes you just as sick. When tested, commercial produce washes were found to be less effective than distilled or tap water. So, when it comes to special washes, save your money. If you do want a little extra oomph in your wash, you can use a brush on sturdy produce like melons, apples, citrus, peppers and cukes. More delicate produce can be cleaned sufficiently by rubbing with your hands, & using a paper towel or clean dish cloth to dry & remove even more bacteria. Pro-tip: always wash the outside of produce even if you are not eating the skin! Cutting will transfer contaminants from the surface to the inside.
White mushrooms can be rinsed briefly & wiped dry with a paper towel. Other fresh mushrooms like oysters, portobello or shiitake have lots of gills which trap water even after a quick rinse, so try brushing them with a pastry brush to remove dirt. Wipe with a slightly damp paper towel for more stubborn dirt.
Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, onions and beets do well with a rinse and a good scrub with a stiff brush. You can also include melons in this category as they grow close to the ground. Leeks are also root vegetables, but tend to need extra soaking as they have multiple layers that trap a lot of dirt and sand. Start by cutting off the tops and bottoms of the leaks. Slice them in half vertically then cut them into half-moons. Separate the slices and soak them in a large bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Once you see all the dirt accumulate on the bottom of the bowl, lift the leeks onto a paper towel lined baking sheet to dry.
Salad greens and herbs, similar to leeks, can be put in a large bowl to soak. Swish them around a bit in the water, then let them sit so the dirt and sand can settle at the bottom of the bowl. Greens like kale, spinach and collards are especially dirty because they are grown in sandy soil, so be sure to trim and rinse them first before soaking. Dry all your leafy greens in a salad spinner or on a towel lined baking sheet.
Berries are delicate & expensive so take special care here! Try to only purchase as much as you will use in a day or two because they can go bad fairly quickly. Check for and discard any berries that are overly soft or have mold, as they will cause the good fruit to deteriorate even faster. It’s best to wash berries just before using so they don’t accumulate mold. Use a colander and dip them in a bowl of cold water, let them soak for a minute or two then dry on paper towels. This protects the delicate berries from being crushed.
It may seem like a lot of extra work at first, but really it’s very easy! Just a few minutes of deliberate care will give you crisp delicious produce that is safe to eat.
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago
