The Environmental Working Group has a great Android and iPhone application to open while you’re cruising the fruit and veggie aisles. It’s free to download, and it features the so called Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen. It breaks down fruits and vegetables based on the amount of pesticide residue measured in both organic and non-organic varieties.
The Dirty Dozen are foods that you should strive to buy organically (or from your local farmer that can tell you his or her pest-control methods), and the Clean Fifteen are foods that you can safely buy non-organic.
Regardless of whether you buy organic, you need to wash your fruits and vegetables to avoid nasty bacteria like Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli. You never know where the many hands that have handled your food have been previously; some reports say up to as many as 20 people!
While soap and water go a long way toward removing germs from our hands, I’d rather ensure what is going in my body is super cleansed. The produce wash sold in the grocery is expensive, so why not make your own? Clean your produce with this Earth friendly recipe!
In a bowl, mix the ingredients below. You may transfer to a spray bottle after the fizzing subsides:
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
10 drops Grapefruit Seed Extract
1 Cup Filtered Water
3/4 Cup White Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Lemon Juice is an excellent degreaser; it works well to remove the waxy substance on fruit. Lemon juice and vinegar are proven antibacterial agents due to their high levels of acidity. Grapefruit Seed Extract is a liquid taken from the pulp, seeds and membranes of the grapefruit. It is believed to have antibacterial properties.
You may choose to double or triple the batch if you have a large volume of produce that you would prefer to soak. I keep my spray in the refrigerator to ensure it stays close at hand. You can wash any fruit and veggies you would like in this wash with the exception of mushrooms. Keep a separate small brush for potatoes, carrots and other root vegetables. I wash lettuce and greens as I use them to avoid losing valuable nutrients in storage.
Even making one small change can equal a big impact in your family! You will recycle fewer plastic bottles of grocery store cleaner, and you will know exactly what you are using to wash your fruits and veggies.
Pass it along to others with a great eco-minded gift perfect for housewarming, teachers or anyone you know trying to live a little more green! Download the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen from the Environmental Working Group’s site, have it laminated, punch a hole in the top and tie it to a reusable produce bag. Fill up the bag with fresh from your garden veggies or a variety of goodies from your local Farmer’s Market. Grab a small spray bottle and mix up some homemade fruit and veggie wash to gift with the bags.