If you thought that washing with water is enough, here's an eye-opener!
Washing with water only removes 75-80% of the pesticides
HIGHLIGHTS
- Pesticides enter our body, invade our immune system and vital organs
- Regular cold water wash may not be as effective as a warm water wash
- Wiping with a damp cloth helps in removing pesticide traces from food
Fruits and veggies that you buy from the market are not as safe as you may perceive. Everyone knows that they are loaded with pesticides which the farmer added to them to protect his crops. But sadly, these crop-savers are extremely harmful to your body. These pesticides enter our body and invade our immune system and vital organs. And the foods which are highly loaded with such pesticides are tomatoes, apples, pears, celery, green leafy veggies, peas, and peppers because they are the most attacked ones.
If you feel that washing them will help in riding food from pesticides, you are under a fake sense of security. It takes some more effort for washing off pesticides from food. We have compiled a list of 6 simple ways you can remove pesticides from your food effectively. Take a look.
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1. Cleaning with warm water
One of the simplest ways of washing vegetables properly is cleaning them with warm water. Regular cold water wash may not be as effective as a warm water wash. Just use normal lukewarm water for cleaning.
2. Vinegar Soak
Washing with water is not enough. You can try soaking the veggies and fruits in vinegar for some time. Make a solution of vinegar and water (10% vinegar and 90% water) and soak food in it. Stir them well and wash thoroughly. Be careful while washing food with a thin peel as rigorous cleaning can wear off the skin.
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3. Homemade cleaning spray
Fruits and veggies loaded with pesticides need extra care and attention. To clean them from all the pesticides, you could wash them with a homemade spray. Just combine two tablespoons of lemon juice and baking soda and dilute it with a cup of water. Now spray it well on the foods you wish to clean and wipe it off. Avoid using dishwashing soaps.
4. Blanch and peel
You can blanch your food in warm water for some time. Throw away the residue from blanching. Or you can try the peeling technique. It is highly recommended for foods with crevices.
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5. Saltwater
Prepare a solution of 98% water and 2% salt. Soak the fruits and veggies for 15 minutes in this solution. This will remove the entire pesticide residue completely. However, solely washing with water removes only 80% of the pesticides.
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6. Use a cloth
Now that you have used a good technique (any of the above) you have removed most of the pesticides from your food. But there is one last thing that you can do to make your food safer, wiping with a damp cloth. This way even the pesticide traces are removed so you can be sure of food safety.
They may take a few more precious minutes of yours, but hey, it is your health that we are talking about. And it is totally worth the effort.
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