Many people are going organic these days, but it can be hard to afford an all-organic lifestyle when it comes to buying fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the organic selection at traditional grocery stores can be limited, especially at certain times of the year, so you are forced to buy non-organic produce. Either way, it is helpful to be able to remove some of the pesticides that coat the outsides of non-organic produce!
To learn more tips for going organic, and why you should consider it, check out Why You Need To Be Part Of The Organic Revolution! We also love the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists that help point you in the right direction for the best foods to always buy organic. There is even a handy iPhone app that you can pull up while searching the produce aisles!
Read on for our three favorite natural ways to remove pesticides from fruits & vegetables!
DIY Produce Wash
Did you know that removing pesticides can be as simple as vinegar and water? That’s right, just two ingredients to healthier & cleaner food!
Fill up a large bowl or your kitchen sink (pre-cleaned, of course!) with 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water. Let your fruits/vegetables soak in this mixture for up to an hour (non-organic apples can soak for an additional 30 minutes to an hour). Remove the produce from the mixture, give them another quick rinse with water, and they are ready to eat!
Take a peek at the leftover “soaking water” after this process – you should be able to see all of the gunk that came off the produce! This mixture also helps to extend the life of your fruits and vegetables so that they last longer without spoiling.
DIY Produce Spray
This pesticide-removing natural spray is super simple to make with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 cup water
Mix these ingredients until the baking soda has dissolved, and pour into a clean spray bottle. Spritz the mixture onto your fruits and vegetables, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse the mixture off, and enjoy your produce!
Store-Bought Produce Wash Options
There are many commercial produce wash products available. Be sure to read the ingredient labels and avoid washes that contain harsh chemicals as it defeats the purpose of removing the pesticides in the first place. Some of our favorites are:
Environne Fruit & Vegetable Wash
Interested in learning more tips for green & healthy living? Check out our GREEN section!
Photo credit: Cookies For Breakfast
Thanks useful info for health.
Thank you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for the lovely fruitful information 🙂
I just read an article yesterday that said only 15% of pesticides are removed when washing produce unless you peel things such as apples then 85% are removed. What do you believe as far as percentages ? Thank you!
The pesticides are now grown into the food which is why there is no physical way to remove them. Check the research on these systemic poisons in our foods and what they do to bees. https://www.motherearthnews.com/errors/page-not-found?item=%2fnature-and-environment%2fsystemic-pesticides-zmaz10onzraw&user=extranet%5cAnonymous&site=motherearthnews#axzz31GYzOVeg
Organic produce has non-synthetic pesticides instead. They may or may not be as toxic or carcinogenic as a synthetic pesticide, it depends upon the pesticide. If you understand the science of it, you can figure out what pesticides are being used on your organic produce as well. Organic does not mean pesticide free. Look up the laws for your country/state/province.