Weird reaction with squash or zucchini

[sfdreams]

I had a weird reaction tonight, and would like to see if this has happened to anyone else. I was using a vegetable peeler to peel strips to make Alissa's fettucine alfredo recipe, and afterwards my finger was very dry and tight, almost like a chemical burn. Putting some Avon Moisture Therapy on it helped, but the moisture doesn't stay very long. I've already applied it twice in the last 1/2 hr.

I don't know if the squash or zucchini sucked all the moisture out of my fingers, or if it/they were too acidic or alkaline. I've made this several times before and this has never happened. This were vegetables that were grown in my friend's garden--I'm not sure if it was organic or not.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?????

Color me confused and a little worried...:confused:

[Veganforlife]

WOW - that is odd. I've gotten like a coating sometimes from various veggies, but when I've washed my hands, it's come off. Are you consuming enough water? The reason I ask is when one's hands are in water and the fingertips get wrinkled? It's because they are FILLED with water. So your's getting tight makes me think there's a lack of water there and then peeling the zuchs took what little moisture there was in there out. Trying drinking a couple glasses of water and see what happens. Or put your hands into some warm water for a bit.
How raw are you? How long have you been raw? Up your water intake...

[Rawkinlocs]

It may also be one of two other things:

1. If your neighbor's garden isn't organic, perhaps it could have been whatever she uses for a pesticide or...

2. The zucchini are not as ripe as they should be and are more starchy than usual. The reason I'm saying this is because (though it didn't happen to my skin) I had a similar thing happen when I tried persimmon that weren't ripe yet and those little red bananas that weren't ripe yet. Both seemed to have sucked all the moisture right out of my mouth when I tasted them and I found out later that in both cases, the fruit wasn't ripened enough yet. So, this may be a cause as well...not sure.

But yeah, as Veganforlife said, I've gotten a coating on my hands from zukes, but never like what you described...usually a good hand-washing takes care of it.

[sfdreams]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I was really freaked out yesterday! The food tasted more acidic than usual, so I was really worried--my finger looked like I had had an accident in the chemistry lab.

When I went to bed last night, my finger was still tight, and peeling somewhat. But when I woke up this morning it seemed okay. I don't know what happened but it was freaky!

I could be dehydrated, Veganforlife. It's been hot as blazes here with really high humidity. To top it off, the a/c at work isn't working properly (again!) and we are all about to pass out in our lab coats and gloves. Plus, at work it is really hard to get away to drink.

I am 100% raw, but still really new--tomorrow will be my 1 week anniversary--yeehaw!

Rawkinlocs, that could very well be it. Maybe they were not ripe enough (though that zucchini was HUGE) They did "feel" kinda starchy. I'm really praying that it wasn't pesticide--:eek:

But whatever, I am very thankful that it went away!

Blessings,
sfdreams

[Lady Green Jeans]

I purchased a large amount of various Italian vegetable seeds which included a variety of squash that made my mom's hand do the same thing. Do not know why, unfortunately. Maybe not ripe enough or too ripe. Very weird, though. Hope some others come through with experiences.

[Misskelly]

I just had a friend call me and say that she had the same thing happen. I gave her some of our homegrown zucchinis and she was slicing them up. We grow organically. Just so you know.

Did you all determine for sure that it was dehydration?

[LDB]

Very frightening. I sliced three large zucchinis, put them in a bowl, stuck them in the fridge then started feeling a tightening of the skin on the fingers on my left hand. I washed my hands figuring it was just the (oils?) on the zucchini. Felt exactly like aloe straight from the plant. As my hands were drying the skin got tight again so I washed again. The skin tightened up again almost to the point of pain. I put some moisturizer on and it did help. I'm looking at my hand now and my fingertips and the part of my palm that was resting on the zucchini while I as cutting looks dry & scaly and is peeling a bit. I've cut zuchinni dozens of times & this has never happened. I am definitely NOT dehydrated. I'm no longer nervous that this is a serious problem based on the other posts here but I don't think I can bring myself to eat the zuchinni!

[Quilter]

I too had a skin reaction. The zucchini "culprit" was very large and I think was organically grown because I bought it at a Farmers Market. This has happened to me before with smaller, store bought zucchini but it was hardly noticeable. This time my fingers grew tight and shriveled and developed small brown patches on them and the part of my hand which touched the zucchini. No amount of hand washing got rid of it. It was not as bad the next day but still there. I'm presuming it "will just go away". I did eat the zucchini (before I saw the brown spots and realized I had some kind of reaction!) which I had roasted in the oven......with no bad internal effects. I'm still alive:-) It would be nice for a dermatologist to respond as to the "why". I always like to understand these 'medical' types of occurrences.

[phak-i-tu]

I think this is one the reasons that people soak sliced zucchini in salt water for a while before using it: it draws out that starchy and bitter juice. That usually gets worse if the zucchini is allowed to grow very big, about the time that the flesh starts pulling away from the seeds a little. The smaller, the milder.
P.S.: the other reason for doing that is that they have more water than they look like they do and draining some of it by soaking will stop them from water-logging your salad as it sits.