Everyone is looking for shortcuts in the kitchen, and it can be tempting to skip washing vegetables when, for example, you're removing outer leaves or you've heard that water will compromise flavor and texture. And why wash a fruit when you're not going to eat its skin? Here, we explain why homegrown herbs, melon, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, and kiwis require a careful rinse before eating raw or using them in cooking.
The Right Way to Wash Every Type of Vegetable, According to Food Safety Experts
Homegrown Herbs
The fresh herbs (such as parsley, sage, thyme, and basil) you've grown in your backyard or windowsill are indeed lovely to look at, smell wonderful, and are a flavorful addition to so many dishes. But just because you cared for them lovingly doesn't mean they're pristine. Whether backyard critters have taken a nibble, a bird has left its mark, or household dust has settled in the leaves, the herbs may be dirty—so give them a careful wash before using them.
How to Wash Herbs
Rinse a small handful of herbs under cool, running water.
Shake them dry.
Pat with a paper towel or give them a turn in a salad spinner.
Like a lot of other produce, melons grow on the ground. Their rind protects the interior flesh from dirt and microorganisms. But if you don’t properly wash the melon before you cut it, you might introduce bacteria to the inside of the melon. The bacteria will attach to your knife blade from the surface of the dirty melon and travel through the melon once the cuts are made, contaminating every slice.
How to Wash Melons
Before slicing or peeling:
Rinse the melon under running water (without any soap, bleach, or commercial produce wash), scrubbing it with a clean produce brush.
Iceberg Lettuce
The heat from cooking can destroy harmful microorganisms lurking on leafy greens. But as iceberg lettuce is almost always eaten raw, it's crucial to wash it before eating. (Even if you plan to grill the lettuce, washing it first is still the best practice.)
When making a salad with iceberg lettuce or shredding it for sandwiches, wash it just as you would wash any other type of leafy green:
Remove the leaves from the head.
Rinse the leaves under cool water.
Spin them dry in a salad spinner.
If you're making an iceberg wedge salad and don't want to separate the leaves, follow these steps instead:
Give the head of iceberg lettuce a good rinse under cool running water.
Gently pat it dry.
Set it on a cutting board and remove any wilted outer leaves before cutting into wedges.
Mushrooms
There's a common myth that you shouldn't wash mushrooms because they'll absorb the water. That's not true—mushrooms actually absorb very little water because they're 90 percent water already. That being said, mushrooms should be gently cleaned to remove dirt and debris, as they grow directly out of the soil.
How to Wash Mushrooms
There's no need to tediously brush your mushrooms; here's the fast, easy, and effective method for washing them:
Plunge the mushrooms into a bowl of water.
Turn them with your hand to dislodge dirt and debris.
Remove the mushrooms and transfer to a clean, cotton towel to pat dry.
How to Wash Fruit the Right Way—Plus Whether You Need a Produce Wash
Cabbage
The outer layer isn't going to be eaten—the leaves are tougher and undesirable to many—so why wash cabbage? There's a good reason: Worms or other insects could be inside the cabbage, so to be safe, follow these steps for cleaning and washing it.
How to Wash Cabbage
Remove the thick outer leaves of the cabbage head.
Cut the cabbage into wedges.
Rinse the wedges in a colander under running water.
Shake them dry as best as you can, then pat them with a clean cotton towel to remove additional moisture.
Kiwi
The fuzzy skin on kiwi is indeed edible, and many suggest you eat it rather than waste it—it's full of fiber and vitamin C. Keeping the skin on also makes it easier for snacking since even if you slice it, the skin holds the kiwi together. However, the fuzzy texture of kiwi can pick up a significant amount of dirt. If you're going to consume the kiwi skin, wash it first to remove any particles and potentially harmful bacteria.
How to Wash Kiwi
Simply run the fruit under cool water and dry it with a paper or cotton towel.
Pesticides are sprayed on fruits, vegetables and spices to prevent the attack of insects and pests. If the fruits or vegetables are consumed without washing, pesticides can enter the body, causing serious health problems. Hence, it is strongly advised to wash the fruits and vegetables before consumption.
Bacteria like Listeria, E.coli, and Salmonella on unwashed produce can cause foodborne illness, also called food poisoning. Washing fresh fruits and vegetables rinses off the bacteria. Once in the store, fruit typically sits out in the open where insects or rodents may walk on it and defecate on it.
Washing loose produce is particularly important as it tends to have more soil attached to it than pre-packaged fruit and vegetables. It is always advisable to wash all fruit and vegetables before you eat them to ensure that they are clean and to help remove bacteria from the outside.
The main foods you should wash before eating are raw fruits and vegetables, and salad items. This is because of the bacteria that may still be on them from their time growing.
Washing fruits and vegetables not only helps remove dirt, bacteria, and stubborn garden pests, but it also helps remove residual pesticides. Under running water, rub fruits and vegetables briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms.
As a rule of thumb, washing with water reduces dirt, germs, and pesticide residues remaining on fresh fruit and vegetable surfaces. Washing and rubbing produce under running water is better than dunking it. Wash fruits and vegetables from the farmers' market, your home garden, and the grocery store.
Yes! Blueberries (as well as other types of fruits and berries) need to be washed to rid them of bacteria, dirt, small bugs and pesticides. Normally, we would advise not to wash berries until you're ready to eat them, to avoid the extra moisture that causes spoilage.
Before you bite into that yummy autumn apple, make sure you give it a good scrub. Got to remove those pesky pesticides. (Apples are all the way up there at No. 4 on EWG's "Dirty Dozen," part of the consumer group's 2017 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.)
After grabbing a box of the ruby red fruit from the store, you want to make sure your strawberries are properly cleaned before taking a bite. Washing strawberries ensures you and your family don't consume any unnecessary grime, bugs, or chemicals (because no one wants a contaminated strawberry shortcake).
Nearly all of our research found that the washes you can find in the store aren't any more effective than common household products or even just water alone. The University of Maine tested produce washes to see how well they removed microbes and found them no more effective than a soak in distilled water.
Gently rub produce while holding under plain running water. There's no need to use soap or a produce wash. Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers. Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present.
If you have prepared vegetables that have dirt or soil on the outside, clean and then disinfect chopping boards and work surfaces before preparing other food. The dirt on vegetables and salad ingredients can contain harmful bacteria. Peeling and washing helps to remove the dirt and bacteria.
Whether holding a quart from the supermarket, a handful from your backyard, or two buckets from the local farm, you must wash strawberries before eating or cooking. Unwashed strawberries—or all produce, for that matter—carry dirt, bacteria, and tiny insects.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says washing your produce under running water can prevent you from becoming infected with food-borne illnesses like norovirus, which is the country's leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food.
It is not good to wash fruits or even vegetables after cutting because all the vitamins and minerals along with water wash away so there is no matter of eating food items without the nutrients. Because by washing they might lose their vitamins and minerals.
Wash or scrub fruits and vegetables under running water—even if you do not plan to eat the peel. Germs on the peel or skin can get inside fruits and vegetables when you cut them. Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended.
She adds, "Even if you won't be eating the skin or peel of a piece of fruit, it should be washed before cutting since the debris on the outside can transfer and contaminate the inside once you open it."
Address: Apt. 171 8116 Bailey Via, Roberthaven, GA 58289
Phone: +2585395768220
Job: Lead Liaison
Hobby: Lockpicking, LARPing, Lego building, Lapidary, Macrame, Book restoration, Bodybuilding
Introduction: My name is Sen. Ignacio Ratke, I am a adventurous, zealous, outstanding, agreeable, precious, excited, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/windowsill-herbs-1117-7d3e2bc2585349738f6247538fc43499.jpg "6 Fruits and Vegetables People Rarely Wash Before Eating—but Should (1)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/LD110630-melon-ipad-cantaloupe-0169-ocms-7cd114c7d0b4490b905dc83ec06dbbad.jpg "6 Fruits and Vegetables People Rarely Wash Before Eating—but Should (2)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/produce-should-be-washed-before-eating-iceberg-lettuce-getty-1223-30de3770de1749e5b4ce9ea5d8b564df.jpg "6 Fruits and Vegetables People Rarely Wash Before Eating—but Should (3)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/mushrooms-MED106083nut001_vert-2000-3b4fca29de964084abf151f8b0a5a579.jpg "6 Fruits and Vegetables People Rarely Wash Before Eating—but Should (4)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/MED103553SEA001B2028229-59d03d89c286454c8032847118300234.jpg "6 Fruits and Vegetables People Rarely Wash Before Eating—but Should (5)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/kiwi032-md110800_vert-f7b82809859144eda41b1afe05fa92ad.jpg "6 Fruits and Vegetables People Rarely Wash Before Eating—but Should (6)")
