How to Properly Prepare Produce
It’s important to eat fruits and veggies, but it’s also important to prep them properly before eating. Not only can produce be dirty from soil obviously, but bacteria and pesticides may also be present.
The number one way to make sure your produce is safe is to wash, prep and store it correctly. Here are some simple tips to follow:
- Before and after handling fresh produce, be sure to wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
- Next, cut away any damaged or bruised areas. Any produce that looks rotten should be thrown out.
- Thoroughly wash all produce before eating. This includes produce you purchased at the store or market, or grew at home.
- While washing fruits and vegetables under running water is sufficient, it has been found that a solution of three parts water and one part white vinegar works as well as expensive fruit and vegetable washes to clean smooth-surfaced produce such as apples and pears and rid them of bacteria. Just use a spray bottle to cover the produce, then rinse under tap water. Dry the produce with a clean cloth or paper towel.
- Delicate fruit, such as berries, can be washed in a bowl filled with three parts water and one part white vinegar. Drain, rinse with tap water, and then spin dry in a salad spinner lined with paper towels.
- It’s also a good idea to scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush, because cutting into a contaminated peel can drag pathogens inside.
- To maintain the quality of fresh produce, store in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40° F or below.
