does simply rinsing fruit actually do anything in terms of eliminating chemicals?
In: Chemistry
Getting off the microbes is always my goal. Scrub brush and water on tougher skin fruits. Water and finger rubs on medium toughness, and just water on soft. It is counterintuitive to was berries as soon as you bring them home, because moisture helps mold grow. But rinsing off invisible spores can reduce the total spore count, and prevent mold growth over a few days as long as you dry them, and don’t store them wet. Even super tough melon rinds should be scrubbed, because cutting into them can introduce bacteria into the fleshy fruit. Cantelope food poisoning has happened a few times in recent years in the US. Kind of like sterlizing skin before poking needles or cutting into it on a human.
Can rinsing your hands wash chemicals off of them?
I heard that it’s better to not eat the skin at all. It’s biologically loaded with nasties intended to repel insects.
Probably not, which fruits have chemical proof skin.
You’ve encouraged me to find out more about chemicals used on produce.
Also, more information provided by suppliers.
Time to rattle some chains
I used to work in a produce department in a local chain grocery store.
A customer dropped a container of blueberries, so the produce manager had me sweep the blueberries into a dust pan, then bring them to the back of the store and dump them back into the container. He then simply walked out and put them right back on the shelf and said “people are supposed to wash this stuff anyway”
Some insecticides are systemic. They’re sprayed onto the soil so the plant takes up the poison through its root system and is spread throughout the plant . These poisons have a limited life span so there are time limits to harvesting after spraying. If a grower sprays too close to harvest, washing fruit will not remove the insecticide.
Rinse it off with warm water or an actual vegetable wash, using cold water does not do much
I don’t mean to gross anyone out, but I’ve been fruit picking grapes before and I can tell you that people often cut themselves on the shears and got blood on them. Not only that but a group of of them got drunk the night before and vomited all over a case of grapes. They also sweat and rub sunscreen and god knows what other germs over everything. The people picking it aren’t the most sanitary…I hope that fruit goes through some sort of wash before it gets to the stores but just wash it just in case!
Fruits are safe to eat.
The “chemicals” are either safe for consumption or are sprayed before the fruits even establish on the trees.
It’s probably not going to do much to remove pesticides and things, but think about how many other grocery store customers have gotten their grubby hands all over it on the shelf at the store. And then consider that the employee who stocked those shelves may or may not wash their hands — there’s a reason every store that sells food has a sign up in the bathroom to warn employees to wash their hands after they use the toilet, and it’s not because compliance rates are super high.
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