How do you clean all your veggies to make sure they are clean?

[iaborn42]

What is the best way to clean all this leafy stuff to make sure I have gotten the stuff out of it? Buying organic is not an option for me. When our local farmers market starts I will be able to get more then but now, it is just not possible.

[RawSinger]

The best way to clean leafy greens is to fill your sink (clean sink!) with luke-cool water (cool but not cold). Then just plop your greens in there and gently push them down and move them around in the water a little. Then just let them sit there for maybe 5-10 min or so and all the grit will sink to the bottom. This is what they do in the produce department where my boyfriend works.

If you're concerned about removing the chemicals from non-organic produce, there's this stuff called veggie-wash at veggie-wash.com. I also read that baking soda works well. You just sprinking some on, rub it in, and wash it off. (I don't know how well this stuff works or whether it's raw or not but they're just suggestions).

Good luck,


Francesca

[Revvell]

I don't... unless they really show dirt. Then I rinse in cold, running water.

Revvell

[Clare]

I read somewhere to fill a spray bottle with drugstore peroxide and fill another one with cheap white vinegar. In either order, spray produce first with one, then with the other. Then rinse with water and eat. I think that they each do different things but together are cheaper than veggie wash...and this seems to get apples really clean when I buy commercial apples.
Since pesticides are organic molecules, I would think that surface residue would wash off with a soapy solution as well. You could keep a spray bottle with diluted soap like bronners or something natural.

[Pitaya]

RawSinger.......thanks for the soaking tip! i'm curious: why cold not really cold water? i've always heard the colder the better, and wash mine this way so wondering if it really matters?
thanks,
P

[SuzyQ]

I use my salad spinner after soaking the greens and it 's a snap to get them dry again. Thanks Clare, for the peroxide/vinegar idea. I knew there had to be a homemade recipe for the expensive veggie wash.

[juliebove]

Most of my stuff just gets a quick rinse under cold running water. Spinach and some leaf lettuce can be tougher though because dirt and bugs can stick to it. If I am just cleaning a small amount, I might give it several rinses, patting with a paper towel to make sure it's really clean and dry.

If really dirty, it is best to soak it and then rinse it.

I used to have a salad spinner but it took up too much room in my cupboard. Plus I started buying bagged salads. I no longer buy the bagged salads after all the food poisoning incidents. A salad spinner works great for drying your greens, if you have the room for one.