ELI5. Why wash vegetables that you’re about to cook at high temperatures like baking at 350 or pan frying?
In: 13
Have you seen how many people picked up and smelled that zucchini before you bought it? Just wash the damn vegetables.
Dirt and bugs get on them.
Cooking will kill the germs but in general people don’t like eating soil.
Sand and soil. You don’t want it on your teeth. And transportation contaminations. Cleaner is almost better.
Heavy metals which can be present in the soil for root vegetables. They do not enter into the vegetables but can be present in soil left on the skin of e.g. potatoes and carrots. Good practice to peel and wash those. Source: uni course in soil science.
Because you want to get whatever dirt, dust, or pesticides off it may have on it from being in the ground/store
What do you mean? I love eating dirt with my meal.
You wash them to get rid of all the literal shit and dirt. Ever take a potato out of the bag and feel the grit that’s on it?? Why would you put that in the dish!?
Ever prepared leeks? Those sucker get so much sand and dirt underneath the top layer. Also what all the other answers said about pesticides and other harmful chemical residues on the surface.
Aside from pathogens, dirt includes minerals such as sand and pebbles that you might not want to put in your mouth. Leafy greens, broccoli, and other vegetables with a rough texture can easily catch grit and sand blown by the wind or by irrigation sprinklers.
Snails, toads and what not cralw around your veggies constantly. Wash everything before you eat it 🙂
Also, if you’re buying commercial produce there is a good chance the workers didn’t have the opportunity to wash hands after a bathroom break.
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