Welcome to my new blog section Essential Living, where I write about the simple yet impactful ways we can each enhance our well-being through everyday practices. Today, I’ll explore the importance of safely washing produce with white vinegar and baking soda and how you can incorporate this eco-friendly habit into your weekly routine.
Why is it important to wash produce with white vinegar and baking soda?
No, a quick little rinsey-rinse under the water is not enough to wash your beautiful fruits and veggies! It’s crucial to wash your produce with white vinegar and baking soda before storing it correctly in your fridge.
What properties do they have?
White vinegar has antimicrobial properties, which helps kill bacteria on produce, reducing the risk of food poisoning such as E. coli or salmonella. Being acidic, white vinegar also helps dissolve pesticide residues and, when diluted with water, it’s safe for consumption so you can easily clean your fruits and veggies meant to be consumed raw!
Baking soda serves as a natural cleaning agent, lifting stains and residues gently without being abrasive, that is also safe for consumption when diluted correctly in water. Its alkaline nature helps removing dirt and pesticides from produce.
Together, their unique properties make for a gentle, natural and effective cleaning solution for produce, respecting both your health and the environment. Plus, it’s cheaper and greener than commercial produce washes!
How to clean your fruits and vegetables with white vinegar and baking soda
To soak your produce, you can either use a basin or, like me, take this opportunity to do a deep cleaning of your sink and kill two birds with one stone! A clean and sanitary kitchen sink is essential to ensure safe food preparation and dishwashing. I prefer to wash all my produce at once when I come back from my weekly grocery shopping, efficiently storing it all at once so my fridge is done and prepped for the week.
Start by placing your produce in the sink. Add white vinegar and water to your fruits and veggies before letting it soak for 10 to 15 minutes to help loosen dirt, pesticides and bacteria. Maintain a ratio of approximately three parts water to one part white vinegar for optimal effectiveness.
Next, empty your water and make a baking soda and water paste for your vegetables with firm skins. You can scrub each one of them as needed with your hands or a clean sponge. Prepare a towel beside your sink and thoroughly rinse each produce before allowing it to dry, eventually patting it dry with a towel. Be sure that your produce is dry before correctly storing it, you wouldn’t want all your hard work to go to waste by not preventing the growth of mold!
Investing these 10 to 15 extra minutes before correctly storing your groceries can make a big difference in your produces lifespan while building a path towards a healthier lifestyle! Incorporate this simple yet effective cleaning method into your weekly routine and prioritize food safety and cleanliness.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to enhance your Essential Living journey. Here’s to nourishing and protecting our bodies and health, and thriving until we meet again 🧡