ELI5. Why wash vegetables that you’re about to cook at high temperatures like baking at 350 or pan frying?

Question

ELI5. Why wash vegetables that you’re about to cook at high temperatures like baking at 350 or pan frying?

In: 13

Answer 1

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.

Answer 2

Dirt and bugs get on them.

Cooking will kill the germs but in general people don’t like eating soil.

Answer 3

Have you seen how many people picked up and smelled that zucchini before you bought it? Just wash the damn vegetables.