It’s the hot topic in the middle aged mama household at the moment.
And I’m not talking about whether a tomato qualifies as a fruit or a vegetable.
No, the great fruit and vegetable debate is whether fresh produce needs to be washed.
I know right? We certainly have some deep and meaningfuls 😉 .
It must be said, I’m a bit of a fanatic. I carefully rinse and rub everything in clean – usually running – water before cooking or eating, unless it is something that will be peeled.
Whether it’s apples or strawberries, spuds or zucchini, it all has to be washed first.
Yes, I even wash the pre-washed bags of vegies. You can’t be too careful – as the salmonella outbreak last year, caused by pre-packaged lettuce, has proved.
Hubster on the other hand, has never been that worried. He will happily eat grapes, plums, apricots and celery, all without washing – something we have good-naturedly bickered about over the years.
Why I Wash Fruit and Vegetables
As I tell him, you just don’t know where it’s been.
- Perhaps that piece of fruit was dropped on the floor of the supermarket, and put back on the display by another shopper.
- Maybe a dog widdled on that lettuce or celery while it was waiting to be transported.
- Perhaps the person packaging it, had a nasty cold.
- And what about residue from pesticides?
*Shudder*
The good news is I am gradually converting him, by sticking to my guns all these years. He knows that if it’s not washed first, I won’t eat it.
But then Miss 20 decided to get in on the debate. And it’s made me think.
But What About Soap?!
Her question – does rinsing fruit and vegetables in water really do that much good? Why don’t we need to use soap, like we do for our hands?
Smart girl, that one.
So I looked it up and am ready with answers for the next time the subject arises.
Apparently just by rinsing our fruit and vegetables, most of the bacteria and other contaminants are removed. It really is a case of “near enough is good enough” – it’s not necessary to remove ALL of them – in minor amounts, these things usually won’t make us sick.
In our household, it’s the great fruit and vegetable debate – what about in your family? Is it the correct way to hang the toilet paper?!