Clean Vegetables And Fruits –Tips And Suggestions

When you shop for fruits and vegetables, you often look for bright, deeply colored ones. But, do you know why they are so colorful, well, it is the artificial colors, the Coal tar and the petrochemicals that make them look colorful and have dangerous effects on our body. It is not just the artificial colors, your fruits and vegetables grow up in fields covered in pesticides and herbicides which are really not safe for consumption.

Fruits and vegetables are handled by several different pairs of hands in the fields and orchards, then in the warehouses, and finally again in your grocery store. Bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli may all be lurking on your fruits and vegetables, whether they are organically grown or conventionally grown. These bacteria all cause food-borne illness and need to be washed away from your produce.

You need to get those fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, but not the insects, chemicals and bacteria that come along with them so make sure you clean your fruits and vegetables
naturally before you eat them. Here are a few tips on how to clean vegetables and fruits naturally.

Tips To Clean Fruits and Vegetables -

1.Start by keeping your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.

2.Always wash your hands before preparing meals and handling fruits and vegetables.

3.Keep fresh greens, fruits and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.

4.Choose healthy looking, ripe fruits and vegetables when you shop. Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.

5.Wait until just before you eat or prepare your fruits and vegetables to wash them. Fruits and vegetables have natural coatings that keep moisture inside, and washing them will make them spoil sooner.

6.Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.

7.Wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables, even if you don't plan on eating them. Bacteria can live on the rind of an orange or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.

8.Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don't use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals. This tip to clean vegetables and fruits is good as the chemicals will leave a residue of their own on your produce.

9.Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables really aren't any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so don't waste your money on them.

10.Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush (buy direct) while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.

11.Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.

12.Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Remember these natural tips to clean vegetables and fruits as the vegetables you buy may look clean in the grocery store but may have lot of chemicals and bacteria which are not visible to your eyes. Your fruits and vegetables still need to be cleaned before you eat them or served to guests or family members. This tip is especially important for vegetables and greens that are eaten raw.
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Thanks for the tips which are needed for healthy food...I also heard that Graphs are to be washed thrice before consumption as they are more easily contaminated... :unsure: :)
Very good effort,Neetu! It's very educative and thanks for sharing it!
Handy tips provided by you neetu.....

Thanks for sharing......
FRUITS and VEGETABLES TIPS:

Prevent discoloration of green leafy vegetables- Add a pinch of common salt and sugar to the cooking vegetable so as to avoid discoloration of green leafy vegetables.

Make leafy vegetables crunchy again- Cut the stem off and separate the stalks. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar to a vessel filled with cold water. Now place vegetables in it. Soak for 4 to 5 hours. Drain well and refrigerate.


Storing Onion paste- Paste of raw onions would turn bitter after a while. For longer storage life, fry onions in little oil before grinding.

Maintain bright green color of peas- Put the peas in boiling hot water and let it boil. Drain. Pour chilled water. Drain.

Prevent discoloration of green leafy vegetables- Add a pinch of common salt and sugar to the cooking vegetable so as to avoid discoloration of green leafy vegetables.


Onion peeling without crying- Peel onions under water to avoid "crying". Another option is to refrigerate onions before cutting.


Keep green leafy vegetables fresh for longer time- Wrap green leafy vegetables in a newspaper before putting in the vegetable bag or tray. This will keep them fresh much longer.




Keep celery fresh for longer time- Celery wrapped in aluminum foil before refrigerating will remain fresh for weeks.


Remove bitterness from karela- Slit it from the middle and rub a mixture of salt, wheat flour and curd over it. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour and then cook.

Stop potatoes from rotting- Potatoes rot quickly if stored near onions.To prevent potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.


Avoid potatoes/cauliflower discoloration- While boiling potatoes and cauliflower add a few drops of vinegar to the water to keep their original white color.


Skin whole tomatoes easily- Put tomatoes in boiling water, cover and keep aside for a few minutes. Remove and peel off the skin easily.


Keep bananas fresh for longer time- After bananas have ripened, store in the refrigerator to help slow down ripening. The skin will turn dark brown, but this does not damage the fruit inside.


Keep chillies fresh for longer time- While storing green chilies, remove the stems.


Better way to clean vegetables- Clean Vegetables & make them germ free by adding some salt or vinegar drops while washing them.


Make ripe tomatoes firm again- Dip tomatoes in cold water, add some salt and leave overnight.


Enhance natural flavor of vegetables- To naturally enhance the flavor of vegetables, add some salt while boiling them.

Freshen up raw vegetables- Add a little lemon juice to cold water. Soak the vegetables in this water to "re-fresh" them.


Juicy lemons- Soak lemons in hot water for 15 minutes before extracting juice.
Thanks Neetu for sharing these useful tips!

[quote]Thanks for the tips which are needed for healthy food...I also heard that Graphs are to be washed thrice before consumption as they are more easily contaminated... [/quote]

That is right Rajani! Because of the thick coating of pesticides on the grapes, it is recommended that the grapes should be soaked in salt water for minimum 30 minutes and then washed two or three times thoroughly, only then they should be consumed!

I use the salt water treatment to wash most vegetables before cutting them, it ensures that most of the surface grime is removed and the bacteria are eliminated to some extent.

"I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally."
- W. C. Fields :)

thanks fro supplying this tips.Really helpful to house wives and their family.

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Good care should be taken when cleaning greens and vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli.Thanks for the tips,Neetu.
Kalyani Nandurkar wrote:
[quote]Thanks Neetu for sharing these useful tips!

[quote]Thanks for the tips which are needed for healthy food...I also heard that Graphs are to be washed thrice before consumption as they are more easily contaminated... [/quote]

That is right Rajani! Because of the thick coating of pesticides on the grapes, it is recommended that the grapes should be soaked in salt water for minimum 30 minutes and then washed two or three times thoroughly, only then they should be consumed!

I use the salt water treatment to wash most vegetables before cutting them, it ensures that most of the surface grime is removed and the bacteria are eliminated to some extent.[/quote]


thanks rajani and gulshan for sharing this useful tip...i did not use to follow this salt water treatment.......
Though these steps are time consuming it is very much good if we invest some time to clean the vegetables and fruits for keeping up our good health. :) :)
the best ways to keep raw fruits and vegetables safe?

* Wash your hands before preparing food.
* Because some produce washes are costly, we advise consumers to wash fresh fruits and vegetables with distilled water. Soak all produce for one to two minutes to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
* Why use distilled water? Because distilled or bottled water has been filtered and purified to remove contaminants.
* For produce with thick skin, use a vegetable brush to help wash away hard-to-remove microbes.
* Some produce should not be soaked in water. Put fragile produce in a colander and spray it with distilled water.
* Clean your counter top, cutting boards, and utensils after peeling produce and before further cutting. Bacteria from the outside of raw produce can be transferred to the inside when it is cut or peeled. Wash kitchen surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
* Eating on the run? Fill a spray bottle with distilled water and use it to wash apples and other fruits.
* Don’t forget that homegrown fruits and vegetables should also be well washed.
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