That sturdy potato or beautiful bunch of grapes or glowing tomato each looks fine and ready to eat! No mud on any of it. Washing is recommended because of the thing we cannot see! I might munch a grape or tomato from my garden, because I know where they’ve been. Not so much for the product at the supermarket, local gardens or farmers’ market vendors. Produce washes are readily available.
The chances are too great that some contamination has traveled to the point of sale with the produce. Things in nature that can work against us if we eat it. Sprays, preservation treatments, bugs creeping across, piddling as they travel.
“As responsible gardeners we know that our produce should be washed before bringing it to the family table. We also endorse washing when we sell or give produce to others.
Rinsing under running water or dry rubbing beats doing nothing. But some things that weren’t washed off by rain or water spray before picking can’t be trusted to come off in my ‘rinse.’
There are many products available to use. DIY folks have their own recipes for cleansers. Some are familiar — almost household names. These three will help you with some choices and something to compare when you consider others.
Veggie Wash — All Natural Produce Wash
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Veggie Wash has been trusted for many years. Agricultural chemicals such as fertilizer and pesticides are intended to resist water. No more rinsing to be sure produce is safe for your family. A formula of citrus, corn and coconut works on all produce as an effective cleaner. Some users keep a spray bottle handy. Or bath the produce in a diluted mixture of water and Veggie Wash. The economical gallon size helps you be sure you won’t run out in the middle of produce season. Package ingredients are listed as Water, Natural Cleaners Made from Corn, Palm and Coconut, Citrus Oil, Sodium Citrate ( A Natural Derivative of Citrus Fruit), Glycerin (from Coconut Oil) and Grapefruit Seed Extract.
A slight citrus scent has been reported, but that customer rinsed again with clear water. Most users liked these produces washes for fruits and veggies. Veggie Wash also offers an Organic formula. The organic formula, includes Water, organic alcohol, organic sunflower oil, organic apple cider vinegar, organic orange oil, organic lemon oil, organic coconut oil, potassium hydroxide (for saponification)*, citric acid.
*Potassium Hydroxide is a processing agent, used to turn oils into soap, and is not present in the finished product.
FIT Organic Produce Wash and Soaker
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Fit Organic mentions the rough surface on produce that can retain resistant dirt and contaminants. This product promises to get more of this dirt than soaking or rinsing with water. Washing with FIT Organic eliminates the need for a separate wax remover, according to company information. The same information says that FIT Organic is USDA-certified organic and Kosher approved. A ‘Leaping Bunny’ on packaging tells users that this is an animal-cruelty-free product.
Using a formula of Purified Water, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Ethyl Alcohol, Organic Glycerin, Natural Mineral (Potassium Hydroxide), Organic Grapefruit Oil, FIT Organic reportedly leaves no after taste or scent. Ordering in the economical sizes gives users reassurance of availability when needed. The concentrated formula requires only a capful for each one-half gallon of water prepared for produce soaking and washing.
Environne Purely Essential Fruit and Vegetable Wash
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Users report excellent results using Environne Purely Essential to wash their produce. The product can be diluted by adding a few drops to a bowl of washing water for larger cleaning projects. Some users added Environne to their salad spinner to wash multiple batches of produce. Or a few drops of Environne can be placed directly on a single piece of fruit or vegetable. Users noticed that any wax preservative was removed, leaving brighter, natural colors of the produce. Uses a formula including purified water, Sodium Coco Sulfate, natural cleansing agents (derived from plant oils), lemon/orange extract, grapefruit seed extract.
After taste is an important measure for users. Environne claims to rinse clear without a taste of its own that could be different from some delicate flavors such as those of blueberries or strawberries. Environne information recommends careful and light washing of porous produce such as mushrooms.
Detergent in your produce wash?
Environne users are concerned about the addition of Sodium Coco Sulfate to the product. This ingredient is a coconut oil based detergent. Detergents differ from pure soap in chemical make-up. They add the SUDS and foam to many of our soap products. Users have to decide for themselves about the wash product ingredients they want. Detergents are ‘synthetic’ compared to the natural, but chemical reaction between fats, water and a caustic necessary to create SOAP.
More than you wanted to know about the suds!
Veggie Wash Natural is kind of vague about ingredients that bring on the suds — “citrus, corn and coconut”. Veggie Wash Organic does list coconut oil and potassium hydroxide which is the necessary caustic to make the coconut oil become soap.
The ingredients list for this product mention that the potassium hydroxide is necessary for production, but is not present in the end product. That is a true soap statement. The fat (coconut oil) water and potassium hydroxide work together to erase each other. The three become one — SOAP. They are no longer themselves.
Potassium hydroxide is a different caustic than Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) the traditional caustic for ‘homemade soap. With the potassium hydroxide the end product will be less likely to harden, making it a preferable caustic for products we want to pour.
FIT Organic also lists potassium hydroxide in the ingredients. The product information doesn’t presume to try to educate users about how this caustic works. The process is the same — fat, water and caustic create SOAP.
When you are shopping for a produce cleanser, check the ingredients on the packaging against your needs. You may have allergies or health conditions that make some ingredients in the produce washes a poor personal choice. Other people are able to use the same products without problems Your personal product ingredient convictions are good measures for your final purchase decision.
Will commercial produce wash work for everything?
Don’t count on your commercial produce washes to get rid of listeria or e-coli. Many won’t get rid of these. I like to add vinegar to the water used to rinse food wash products from produce, I don’t have any proof the vinegar helps. When I add a splash of vinegar to the wash bowl, my produce seems to last longer in the refrigerator. The kind of vinegar doesn’t seem to matter. Some people swear by apple cider vinegar. I like to use a mild rice vinegar that doesn’t leave strong flavor on the product.
Closing shots about how to wash produce
Detergents used for washing dishes, counter or clothing are not recommend for use as produce washes. There aren’t tests available to evaluate risks from dishwashing detergent residue. As mentioned before, some produce is more porous than other items. Items such as mushrooms are more vulnerable to absorption.
One last shot at food safety beyond produce washes. Heat (COOK YOUR FOOD) will help to control the stronger food born.
Do you have a go-to method for cleaning veggies and fruit as it is moved from garden to table? Please share in the comments. Your email information is confidential and secure.
[…] We have had a few busy days! Bought a lot of dirt for the new raised bed. R has been doing more of that than I have. He did find some volunteers in the plots. The wheat volunteer from straw mulch has been re-planted in another bed. The potatoes look like they could use some produce wash for veggies or fruit. […]