Get Pesticides Off Your Produce
Fruits and vegetables are delicious, nutritious and colorful. This makes them the ideal foods to nourish our families, our appetites and our palates. To ensure that they are truly beneficial to our health, it is important to get of pesticides residue off your produce as possible.
According to Health Canada, pesticides play an important role in making sure there is enough food for everyone, by protecting crops from pests like insects, weeds and fungal diseases. While pesticides help protect our food supply, some people have concerns about pesticide residue that may be on the food they eat.
Here are some effective, proven tips to remove pesticides from your fruits and veggies:
Clean it With Baking Soda and Water
1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 cups of water is an effective way to wash off pesticides. Soak your produce for 12-15 minutes in the solution and then rinse with water. Removes about 90% of pesticide residues.
Soak it in Vinegar
Whip up a solution with 10 percent white vinegar and 90 percent water and soak your veggies and fruits in them. Stir them around and rinse thoroughly. Be careful while washing fruits like berries and those with a thin peel, as the solution might damage their porous outer skin. Removes between 80% and 90% of pesticide residues.
Wash it With Just Cold Water
Rinsing your fruit and veg under cold water is very effective too. This method removes about 80% of pesticide residues.
Keep in mind, the research found that rubbing produce under tap water for at least 30 seconds also reduces residues of many pesticides.
Go Local or Buy Organic
Other ways to limit your pesticide consumption is by buying produce locally and then peeling the skins off. And if you can afford to, buy organically grown fruits and vegetables.
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