Have you ever wondered “should I wash my produce?” My husband and I debate this whenever we are at a Farmer’s Market (as he is eating the berries we just bought, LOL)! I have always washed my produce prior to consumption…my mom taught me at a young age that produce should always be washed. As I grew older I learned that bacteria (including e.coli) can grow on the outer skin of your produce….gross and no one wants to get sick eating an apple!
TIPS for Washing Produce:
WASH BEFORE CONSUMPTION. I spray and wash my produce with Thieves Fruit + Veggie Soak. I know many of my friends soak their produce and store. But I prefer to wash before I consume them. After doing a bit of research, that seems to be the best way to do it to avoid spoiling.
BE MINDFUL OF THE TYPE OF PRODUCE. For instance, when I am washing berries, herbs or more fragile produce – I place them in a salad spinner or colander and gently spray and swish. When I’m washing sweet potatoes or potatoes I use my kitchen scrubber and give it a good scrub.
EXTRA 5 MIN SOAK FOR SUPER DIRTY PRODUCE. Often when I buy from a CSA box or Farmer’s market the produce has more dirt on it then grocery store produce. I place the produce in a large bowl and give it an extra rinse/soak with tap water till the bowl of water looks clean.
METHODS OF WASHING PRODUCE:
- Soak with Baking Soda; 2 Tablespoons of Baking Soda to 1 Cup of Water (I recently learned about this, just another reason why I love Baking Soda. See my previous post about Baking Soda)
- Soak with Apple Cider Vinegar; 1:4 ratio (so as an example 1/4 cup of vinegar to a cup of water)
- Soak or Spray with Thieves Fruit + Veggie
- Soak with Tap Water
Place produce inside the selected method and allow it to soak/sit for about 5-15 minutes. RINSE WELL under with tap water and dry (preferably with paper towel).
What is Thieves Fruit and Veggie Wash?
It safely and effectively washes produce with the cleansing power of Thieves essential oil blend and Lime essential oil.
Ingredients: Water, Decyl glucoside, Citric acid, Glycerin, Sodium citrate, Citrus latifolia (Lime) oil, Syzygium aromaticum (Clove) bud oil, Citrus limon (Lemon) peel oil, Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon) bark oil, Eucalyptus radiata oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf oil
100% pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil
I hope this post was informative and helpful to you!! Enjoy your FRUITS+VEGGIES! Click here if you are interested in purchasing any essential oils or Thieves products.
Other Interesting Resources on Produce:
Environmental Working Group (EWG) 2021 Shopper’s Guide to Produce
Consumer Reports: Easy Way to Remove Pesticides from Produce
The Washington Post: Info on Washing and Storing 10 Common Fruits and Veggies
