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You’ve just brought home the freshest fruit and
veggies — and now you want to make sure they
stay that way before you’re ready to eat them!
Washing and storing produce is an art in itself
that can be made much, much easier with a few
simple tips.
Why Wash?
Wash nearly any produce that comes through your
door as even organic products will still likely be
covered with fertilizer, dust, soil, bacteria, fungi
and pesticides. There’s no need to panic as it’s
rare to get sick from contaminants on fruit and
vegetables, but it’s definitely a good habit to wash
most things as soon as you bring them home. It
will save time later.
Most produce actually benefits from a little added
moisture when it won’t be stored for too long. Too
much dampness will eventually cause mold and
other funky microorganisms to grow, so don’t plan
on keeping washed items for more than a couple
of days — or make sure to dry them out thoroughly.
Tips for Washing
One way to wash a lot of produce is to fill up a
large bowl with cool water and dunk it all,
scrubbing or swirling as you go. You may need to
change the water a couple times. Warm water will
actually bring out the flavor in items that you’re
ready to serve, but never go above lukewarm —
you don’t want to cook the food!
Cool water is best for crisping limp produce —
wilted lettuce and limp carrots will revive with 30
minutes to an hour in a cold water bath. Always
wash bagged lettuce, even if it is labelled pre-
washed.
You can get a vegetable scrubber for root
vegetables or anything with a rind. New potatoes
and baby carrots will require little else than a
gentle scrub before cooking. Even items you’re
planning on peeling with a peeler, though, should
be washed as any contaminants on the outside
will spread to the peeler and the food inside.
By the way, you won’t get the wax coating off of
things like apples by scrubbing — you need to
actually peel the fruit to remove it.
Never use any detergent or bleach solutions to
wash with as fruit and vegetables can absorb
these solutions and they’re not meant for human
consumption. You can use special produce sprays
to wash, but water alone will also do the trick.
Drying
Dry all fruit and vegetables immediately after
washing unless they’re going right in the pot. Most
of the time, water is the enemy of flavor, so drying
foods properly is critical to allow sauces or
dressings to stick to the food and to keep your
seasonings undiluted. Plus, if you’re going to store
items after washing, it helps to keep them as dry
as possible.
Gently dry delicate items with dish or paper towels
and use a salad spinner for leafy greens. For
berries, herbs or greens, you can also layer your
produce with strips of paper towels in a large bowl
— the paper towels will absorb the moisture.
Tougher herbs such as parsley can actually be
placed in a dish towel and rung out to dry after
they’ve been chopped, something which is critical
if you want to be able to sprinkle them for garnish
later.
Handle with Care
Delicate herbs or soft fruit you should immerse in a
bowl of water, swish them around, pour the water
out, and repeat until the water runs clean. Sandy
herbs or greens such as cilantro or arugula require
this as holding them under a running tap will move
the dirt around instead of lifting and letting the dirt
sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Very ripe fruit and berries can also be gently
splashed with water and turned in a colander with
your hand.
Washing Root Vegetables
All root veggies should be given a good scrub
before peeling, then rinsed again after removing
the peel. Contaminants from the peel will make
their way to the flesh while you’re peeling, which
is why a second rinse is a good idea.
Washing Fruit
Citrus fruit and melons that you’ll be cutting
should be washed. Otherwise, the knife will bring
any contaminants into the center of the fruit. They
should be really scrubbed if you want to use the
zest for cooking.
Grapes can be washed in a colander and stored in
the refrigerator. Strawberries, raspberries and figs
are better off getting a quick wash just before
eating, although if you won’t be storing them for
long. You can also wash in advance as long as
you’re gentle and dry them well.
Washing Vegetables
Cukes, salad greens and scallions will crisp up if
they are soaked in ice water for at least 30
minutes, which you can do after you wash them.
Many cucumbers have a wax coating that you can’
t wash off, so these should be peeled as well.
With leeks, you should cut their root ends and
green tops off, slice them in half lengthwise, and
rinse thoroughly while fanning the layers out in
lukewarm water.
There’s a big debate about how to wash
mushrooms. Some people prefer to simply dab at
the dirt with a damp paper towel to avoid the
mushroom getting soggy. Still, if there’s a lot of
dirt, you really should wash them under a stream
of water in a colander and check every one to
make sure you get all the mud out.
What Not to Wash
You can definitely skip washing certain items
where the peel really barely touches the inside —
onions, garlic, winter squash, and citrus fruit
(unless you’re zesting), can all be peeled and eaten
as is.
veggies — and now you want to make sure they
stay that way before you’re ready to eat them!
Washing and storing produce is an art in itself
that can be made much, much easier with a few
simple tips.
Why Wash?
Wash nearly any produce that comes through your
door as even organic products will still likely be
covered with fertilizer, dust, soil, bacteria, fungi
and pesticides. There’s no need to panic as it’s
rare to get sick from contaminants on fruit and
vegetables, but it’s definitely a good habit to wash
most things as soon as you bring them home. It
will save time later.
Most produce actually benefits from a little added
moisture when it won’t be stored for too long. Too
much dampness will eventually cause mold and
other funky microorganisms to grow, so don’t plan
on keeping washed items for more than a couple
of days — or make sure to dry them out thoroughly.
Tips for Washing
One way to wash a lot of produce is to fill up a
large bowl with cool water and dunk it all,
scrubbing or swirling as you go. You may need to
change the water a couple times. Warm water will
actually bring out the flavor in items that you’re
ready to serve, but never go above lukewarm —
you don’t want to cook the food!
Cool water is best for crisping limp produce —
wilted lettuce and limp carrots will revive with 30
minutes to an hour in a cold water bath. Always
wash bagged lettuce, even if it is labelled pre-
washed.
You can get a vegetable scrubber for root
vegetables or anything with a rind. New potatoes
and baby carrots will require little else than a
gentle scrub before cooking. Even items you’re
planning on peeling with a peeler, though, should
be washed as any contaminants on the outside
will spread to the peeler and the food inside.
By the way, you won’t get the wax coating off of
things like apples by scrubbing — you need to
actually peel the fruit to remove it.
Never use any detergent or bleach solutions to
wash with as fruit and vegetables can absorb
these solutions and they’re not meant for human
consumption. You can use special produce sprays
to wash, but water alone will also do the trick.
Drying
Dry all fruit and vegetables immediately after
washing unless they’re going right in the pot. Most
of the time, water is the enemy of flavor, so drying
foods properly is critical to allow sauces or
dressings to stick to the food and to keep your
seasonings undiluted. Plus, if you’re going to store
items after washing, it helps to keep them as dry
as possible.
Gently dry delicate items with dish or paper towels
and use a salad spinner for leafy greens. For
berries, herbs or greens, you can also layer your
produce with strips of paper towels in a large bowl
— the paper towels will absorb the moisture.
Tougher herbs such as parsley can actually be
placed in a dish towel and rung out to dry after
they’ve been chopped, something which is critical
if you want to be able to sprinkle them for garnish
later.
Handle with Care
Delicate herbs or soft fruit you should immerse in a
bowl of water, swish them around, pour the water
out, and repeat until the water runs clean. Sandy
herbs or greens such as cilantro or arugula require
this as holding them under a running tap will move
the dirt around instead of lifting and letting the dirt
sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Very ripe fruit and berries can also be gently
splashed with water and turned in a colander with
your hand.
Washing Root Vegetables
All root veggies should be given a good scrub
before peeling, then rinsed again after removing
the peel. Contaminants from the peel will make
their way to the flesh while you’re peeling, which
is why a second rinse is a good idea.
Washing Fruit
Citrus fruit and melons that you’ll be cutting
should be washed. Otherwise, the knife will bring
any contaminants into the center of the fruit. They
should be really scrubbed if you want to use the
zest for cooking.
Grapes can be washed in a colander and stored in
the refrigerator. Strawberries, raspberries and figs
are better off getting a quick wash just before
eating, although if you won’t be storing them for
long. You can also wash in advance as long as
you’re gentle and dry them well.
Washing Vegetables
Cukes, salad greens and scallions will crisp up if
they are soaked in ice water for at least 30
minutes, which you can do after you wash them.
Many cucumbers have a wax coating that you can’
t wash off, so these should be peeled as well.
With leeks, you should cut their root ends and
green tops off, slice them in half lengthwise, and
rinse thoroughly while fanning the layers out in
lukewarm water.
There’s a big debate about how to wash
mushrooms. Some people prefer to simply dab at
the dirt with a damp paper towel to avoid the
mushroom getting soggy. Still, if there’s a lot of
dirt, you really should wash them under a stream
of water in a colander and check every one to
make sure you get all the mud out.
What Not to Wash
You can definitely skip washing certain items
where the peel really barely touches the inside —
onions, garlic, winter squash, and citrus fruit
(unless you’re zesting), can all be peeled and eaten
as is.
