When fruits and vegetables are summer fresh, do you need to wash them, even if you peel away the skin and only eat the insides? Yes!
Washing removes debris and residues from the outside surfaces and crevices of produce. Cutting through unwashed produce can carry dirt or bacteria to the inside flesh.
To clean your fresh produce any time of year:
- Choose produce carefully. Reject any with decay, mold, insect holes, or surface cuts. Remove bruised or damaged spots that may harbor bacteria or mold.
- Use separate cutting boards—one for cleaning produce, another for raw meat, poultry, and fish. Color code the boards, or label them with a permanent marker. Use plastic boards; wooden cutting boards can harbor bacteria.
- Remove outer leaves on lettuce, cabbage, and other leafy vegetables. “Rust” spots on lettuce aren’t harmful.
- Wash produce with clean, running water just before eating. Unless made for cleaning produce, skip soap; it leaves residue. You don’t need a vegetable wash (made from baking soda and citric acid) either; if you do use it, rinse well.
- Scrub firm produce with a vegetable brush: melons, cucumbers, carrots, foods with edible peels.
- Store cleaned produce in clean containers or plastic storage bags.
• Keep your refrigerator produce drawer clean. Wash and sanitize it often.
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