Ditch The Vinegar When Washing The Produce From Your Garden & Try This Instead

Nothing beats the taste of fruits and vegetables out of your garden. They're as fresh as you can possibly get, flavorful, and have better nutritional value. But they may be harboring some sneaky chemicals and pesticides, even if you planted them using organic or pesticide-free methods. These harmful substances could be used by your neighbors or nearby larger farms that rely on practices involving them. They can drift on the wind when being sprayed or be in contaminated soil. Conventional methods advise to wash your produce with vinegar to remove anything harmful, but new research has shown that baking soda is more effective when washing produce.

Baking soda mixed with water works to chemically break down surface pesticides by creating an alkaline environment, which makes many pesticides unstable and easier to break down. The hydrolysis reaction of the alkaline solution degrades pesticide molecules, making them less harmful and easier to wash away. This solution also works to wash away surface dirt, microbes, and fungi.

First, clean whatever surface you're using — the sink, a bowl, etc., and wash your hands with soap and warm water. Then, fill the sink or bowl with cold water and baking soda (1 teaspoon of baking soda per 2 cups of water) and mix well. Submerge your produce and let sit for 12 to 15 minutes to break down and remove anything on the surface. You can scrub the surface of the more sturdy produce like apples, carrots, and melons with a vegetable brush too. Finally, thoroughly rinse all fruits and veggies to remove anything lingering on the surface and let them dry.

You should wash your organic produce as well — organic does not mean pesticide-free, and you don't know what could be in your soil. Even fruits and vegetables you grow inside your house or apartment should be cleaned and rinsed. So, err on the side of caution and use this method for all produce. Stockpile this really affordable powder, too, because the baking soda cleaning hacks are plentiful outside of its powerful capabilities of cleaning produce.

Your favorite weed-killer, Round Up, is an herbicide known to be carcinogenic and harmful to human health. Even though it shouldn't come in direct contact with your produce, if you or a neighbor use it to kill weeds, it contaminates your soil and poses a threat to the health of plants relying on soil for nutrients. Natural pesticides are also harmful, despite the misconception they aren't. So, you can garden completely free of chemicals or only treat with natural pesticides — you're still at risk if you don't wash all produce with a baking soda mixture.

Washing your produce removes dirt and bacteria too, preventing food-borne illnesses. E. coli and salmonella are common bacteria found on fruits and vegetables that can cause sickness if not washed from surfaces before consumption. Dirt isn't just a gritty texture when you bite into your strawberry — it houses microorganisms and can carry all the above-mentioned substances in it. So, grab the baking soda and get to washing before you take a bite of your garden produce. And save some for your garden plants — they benefit from it too!