No matter where you buy your produce or how it is grown, all fruits and vegetables should be washed before you eat them. Get our best tips for all your fruits & veggies.
How to Wash Fresh Produce
{Referral links are used in this post. This post was sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers. All thoughts and opinions are my own.}
All fresh produce needs to be washed before you eat it, no matter where you got it from or how you’re planning on preparing it. Washing fruits and vegetables may help to remove any pesticides or herbicides on the surface of the food, but the bigger deal is bacteria.
Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with bacteria anywhere along the lines. It could happen in the field where they are being grown, while they are being picked, while they are being transported to your store, in the store, or even at home in your own kitchen. The most likely place to be contaminated is in the store waiting to be bought. How many times have you picked up two or three apples before you found the one that you wanted to buy? You know that you washed your hands before you went to the grocery store, but what about that person who is coughing? Or that toddler who just sneezed on the lettuce display? No one does it on purpose, but the chance for bacterial contamination of food is real.
So we need to take some precautions at home! The easiest one is to simply wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them.
If It’s Organic or Local
Yes, even organic or local fruits and vegetables need to be washed. Remember, we’re not really talking about washing off any chemicals that might be on the food (although organic and local farmers can use some pesticides and herbicides). The big deal here is any bacteria that might have gotten on the food anywhere along the lines.
When and How to Wash
Washing produce shouldn’t be a big, time-consuming project. For most fruits and vegetables, all they need is a gentle rinse under cool running water. Once they are cleaned, fruits and vegetables should be dried before you use them. This helps to remove even more bacteria that might be present on the surface. Simply use paper towels or a clean cloth to pat them dry.
You do not need to use produce washes, vinegar, or bleach to wash fresh fruits and vegetables. A study by the University of Maine found that simply washing with cool water was just as effective (and sometimes more effective) at removing bacteria from fruits than “veggie washes.” Some fruits and vegetables could absorb the chemicals in a produce wash, or they may not be completely rinsed off. Since these washes have not been tested for safety, the Food and Drug Administration does not recommend using produce washes.
Do not use soaps or detergents to wash fruits and vegetables. These types of cleaners are not labeled for use on food. If they are not rinsed off completely, you could eat residue from the soap or detergent.
Wait until you are ready to use your fruits or vegetables before you wash them. Any moisture that is left after you dry them (because, let’s face it, you’re not going to wipe every single grape dry) can cause more bacteria to grow. That is the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve with washing them, and it can cause your produce to spoil faster in the refrigerator.
If you are getting ready to pack a cooler for a long weekend (or even just a day) away, or you’ll be heading to a cookout or other outdoor party, you should wash your fruits and vegetables before you go. You never know what type of facilities you’ll have when you get there. And you certainly don’t want to keep your family from eating the fresh apples because you didn’t wash them before you left!
So here are your basic rules for washing fresh fruits and vegetables:
- Store fruits and vegetables in their original package, in vented plastic bags, or in vented containers until you are ready to use them.
- Right before you are ready to use them, rinse fruits and vegetables under cool running water.
- Pat dry with paper towels (Viva paper towels are my absolute favorite) or a clean cloth.
- Enjoy.
Really, it’s that simple!
There are a few fruits or vegetables that need a little special attention. Keep on reading to find out more.
If You’ll Eat the Outside
Any fruit or vegetable that you’re planning to eat the outside should be washed. This is the group that most people are already aware of, and you probably already do this, at least most of the time. Get in the habit of washing every fruit or vegetable before you eat it!
Apples, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Plums
If you’ll eat the skin of any fruit, give it a quick shower under cool running water first. Gently rub the surface with your fingers, pat it dry with a clean towel or paper towels, and you’re done! Really, that’s all you need to do!
Asparagus
Rinse intact asparagus spears under running water. Snap off the bottom 1-3 inches of the asparagus spear (they should break easily), and you’re ready to cook them. Find more details about preparing asparagus here.
Bell Peppers
Give peppers a rinse under cool running water. Pay attention to the crevices in the peppers, these are great places for bacteria to hide.
Broccoli
Broccoli can be hard. The florets are packed so tightly that water often just seems to run off the surface of the vegetable without actually doing much. Rinse the broccoli head under running water, then chop it (florets, spears, however you plan to cook it). Soak the chopped broccoli into a bowl of clean water for a few minutes to get everything as clean as you can then rinse it off and pat dry.
Celery
Celery grows right at ground level, and it grows in layers. This means that there can be dirt trapped inside the layers of celery. Make sure that every celery stalk gets rinsed under running water, paying special attention to the bottom of each stalk.
Grapes
Rinse bunches of grapes under running water. When you’re done, simply wrap them loosely in paper towels or a clean cloth and pat dry. You can also use a salad spinner to dry them.
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, and Blackberries
You can place strawberries (or any kind of berry) in a colander and run cool water over them. You can also dunk strawberries in a bowl of cool water. When you’re done, lay them out on paper towels or a clean cloth to pat dry. Salad spinners are also great ways to dry off berries. Just be sure to use the berry insert (if your spinner has one), a smaller spinner, or to spin at a lower speed. Too much spinning force can damage the fruit. Get more details on strawberries and blackberries.
Tomatoes
Smaller tomatoes like grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes can be rinsed in a colander or in a bowl of clean water. Larger tomatoes should be rinsed under cool running water.
If You’ll Peel It
Many people don’t think about this, but you should still wash your fruits and vegetables, even if you are planning on peeling them! If there are bacteria on the surface of a fruit, the bacteria can be dragged inside the fruit when you cut into it. Then the bacteria have contaminated the part of the fruit or vegetable that you will eat! Washing fruits and vegetables before you eat them helps to reduce this risk.
Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe can be tough to clean because the skin has lots of nooks and crannies where bacteria can hide. Rinse the melon under cool running water, and give the entire surface a gentle scrub with a vegetable brush.
Melons with smooth skins (like watermelon and honeydew) still need to be rinsed, but do not need to be scrubbed.
Citrus Fruits
Any citrus fruits (grapefruits, lemons, limes, oranges, and their cousins) should be rinsed under running water before you peel them. If you are planning on using the peel in a dish, this is an important step! Get the scoop on cutting grapefruit here.
Cucumber
Some people like their cucumber peeled, some people do not. Whichever camp you fall into, be sure to give the cucumber a rinse before you slice it.
Pineapple
Pineapples, like cantaloupes, can be tough to clean. Just look at all those nooks and crannies! Rinse the pineapple under running water, and gently scrub the surface with a vegetable brush.
If It Grew In the Ground
Vegetables that grow in the ground need just a little extra TLC. They have already been cleaned once before they made it to your store, but they need some extra scrubbing at home before you cook them.
Carrots
Carrots are pretty well cleaned before they get to the grocery store. Rinse them under cool running water, and give a gentle scrub with a vegetable brush.
Onions
Onions are also pretty clean before you get them. Peel off the outer papery layer and rinse the onion under running water. Pay special attention to the root hairs, because dirt can get trapped there. Get more info on onions – including how to chop them fast without crying – here.
Potatoes
Most of the dirt has been cleaned off potatoes before they get to you, but you should still give them a little extra scrub. Rinse them under cool running water, and gently scrub with a vegetable brush.
If It’s “Pre-Washed”
Pre-washed, ready-to-eat produce is your only exception to the “wash everything before you eat it” rule. Look for the words “pre-washed” or “ready to eat” on the label (look in the upper right corner of the bag of carrots). These labels mean that you can just open the bag and start eating. In fact, if you do rinse these fruits or vegetables before you eat them, you run the risk of contaminating them with bacteria from your kitchen.
Washing fruits and vegetables is a very easy step to practicing good food safety. And the best part is that it only takes a minute! Get in the habit of washing every fruit and vegetable before you eat it. You’ll be showing your family good habits, and you’ll be keeping them safe at the same time.
Do you have any questions? Any fruit or vegetable I haven’t covered that you’d like to see? Leave me a comment below, and I’ll add new pictures and recommendations to the post!
3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen
- How to Store Fresh Produce – free printable!
- How Do I Store Eggs?
- Tips for Summer Food Safety
Why don’t you rinse foods in hot water? I always thought that would help rinse bacteria away and leave it cleaner. (At the end I rinse it in cool water to bring the temperature up again.
For pre washed bAby carrots, I was told by a manufacturer once to avoid bags with water inside but they all seem to have water in them. To be safe I rinse them in hot water, then cold and dry with paper or cloth and put in a fresh bag. Is this less healthy?
I do that as well, especially carrots, cucumber and pineapple