How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables with Baking Soda

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A guide to removing pesticides & dirt from produce
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Before you eat fresh berries, grapes, or apples from the store, it’s important to rinse off your fruit to get rid of any harmful bacteria, fungi, and dirt. Adding baking soda to your rinse helps ensure your produce is free from pesticides and debris, which in turn keeps you even healthier! In this article, we’ll tell you how to clean your fruit and vegetables with baking soda, why baking soda is a great cleaner, and how to use both baking soda and vinegar in your rinse. Read on to learn more!

Things You Should Know

  • Fill a bowl ⅔ full with cool water and mix in 1 teaspoon (6 g) of baking soda per 2 cups (473 ml) of water.
  • Then, add in your fruits or veggies and let them sit for 12 to 15 minutes. Stir them around every few minutes to ensure they’re evenly soaked in the solution.
  • Pour the baking soda mixture through a strainer and rinse the produce under cool water to remove any remaining dirt or baking soda.
Section 1 of 3:

Washing Produce with Baking Soda

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  1. To prevent bacteria from spreading onto your fruits or vegetables, wash your hands well before touching or cleaning your produce. Just spend at least 20 seconds scrubbing your hands with soap under warm water. [1]
  2. Get out a large mixing bowl that your fruits and vegetables easily fit inside. [2] Then, fill about ⅔ of the bowl full with cool tap water. Using cool tap water instead of cold, warm, or hot water prevents bacteria from getting into your produce or bruising it. [3]
    • If you’re washing larger produce in your sink, clean your sink first to prevent germs and bacteria from infecting your fruits or veggies.
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  3. Pour 1 teaspoon (6 g) of baking soda into the bowl for every 2 cups (473 ml) of cool water inside. Simply use a spoon to stir the baking soda in the water so it completely dissolves. [4]
  4. Add your fruits or vegetables into the baking soda solution and give them a mix to ensure all of the produce is covered by the mixture. Then, leave the fruits or vegetables to sit for 12 to 15 minutes. After every 2 to 3 minutes, stir the produce so every piece is cleaned evenly. [5]
    • Produce with soft exteriors, like berries, can get mushy when they’re soaked. To prevent mushiness, leave soft produce in the water for 1 to 2 minutes. Or, sprinkle them with baking soda as you rinse them under water.
    • Remove fruits and vegetables like tomatoes and grapes from the vine before soaking them in the baking soda.
    • Take off the outer leaves on vegetables like broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage before cleaning them.
    • Do not cut into your fruit or vegetables before you clean them. Cutting off bruises or spots before the skin is clean can let bacteria get inside. [6]
  5. After your produce has finished soaking, take a few seconds to manually remove dirt on the surface of your fruit or vegetables. If you’re washing soft fruits or vegetables like berries, grapes, and leafy greens, just use your fingers to rub the produce. If you’re cleaning tougher produce like apples, carrots, or potatoes, scrub them with a soft-bristled brush. [7]
  6. Dump the baking soda solution through a mesh strainer or colander to separate the produce from the mixture. Then, hold the fruit or vegetables under running, cool water to rinse off any remaining dirt or baking soda. This ensures your produce is clean and doesn’t contain a hint of baking soda. [8]
    • If there is any baking soda left on your produce, they might taste slightly like baking soda, which has a bitter flavor. Just rinse your fruit or veggies off again to get rid of any residue.
  7. Lay down a clean, dry towel or paper towel on your counter and pour your fruits or veggies on top. Then, lay a second clean, dry towel on top to let your produce air dry before you cook with them or snack on them. Or, use your second towel to dry each individual piece off. [9]
    • In general, only wash produce right before you’re going to eat it or cook it into a meal. Washing and then storing produce can encourage bacteria or mold growth that causes your fruits or vegetables to spoil faster.
    • If you need to wash and then store vegetables or fruits, make sure they’re completely dry. Place them in airtight storage containers lined with paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Then, set them in your fridge away from meat and seafood.
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Section 2 of 3:

Why use baking soda to clean fruits and vegetables?

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  1. Fruits and veggies from the grocery store are often treated with pesticides that keep away damaging insects, but that you might not want to eat. Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that decomposes and lifts off leftover pesticide residue on produce. [10] It also has abrasive qualities that scrub off dirt and other debris on the surface of fruits and vegetables. [11]
    • Vinegar is another common solution that’s used to clean produce. Unlike vinegar, baking soda is less smelly and doesn’t leave behind an aftertaste.
    • Pesticide use is strictly controlled in the United States. If there is any pesticide residue on produce, it is below the regulated amount which makes it safe to eat. Still, it’s important to at least rinse off your produce to remove dirt and bugs. [12]
Section 3 of 3:

Cleaning Fruit and Vegetables with Baking Soda and Vinegar

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  1. Washing your fruit or veggies with baking soda and vinegar follows a similar process as just washing them with baking soda. Simply get out a bowl large enough for your produce and fill it with cool tap water. [13]
    • This washing solution combines the powers of baking soda and vinegar. Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent that kills many types of bacteria. [14]
  2. Use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar to clean your fruits or veggies; both are effective at getting rid of bacteria. Then, pour 1 cup of vinegar (237 ml) into the bowl for every 2 cups (473 ml) of cool water inside. [15]
  3. Measure out 1 teaspoon (6 g) of baking soda per 2 cups (473 ml) of cool water in your bowl and add it to the vinegar solution. Then, use a spoon to stir the baking soda so it dissolves in the water and vinegar. [16]
  4. Add your fruits or veggies into the vinegar and baking soda solution; the solution might bubble or fizz, which is completely normal. Then, simply let the produce sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let the vinegar and baking soda work their cleaning magic. [17]
  5. Pour out the vinegar and baking solution through a strainer or colander. Then, hold the fruits or vegetables under cool, running water to wash off any residual dirt, vinegar, or baking soda. [18]
  6. Pour your produce onto a clean, dry cloth or paper towel and layer a second cloth or sheet on top. Pat the fruits and vegetables dry, or leave them to air dry, before cutting them up for a meal or eating them. [19]
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      Warnings

      • Do not use soap or bleach to clean produce. Both soap and bleach can seep into the pores of fruits and vegetables and make you sick when you eat them. [20]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/wash-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables
      2. ↑ https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/healthy-home/3274/cfs-healthy-home/tips-for-a-healthy-home/3474/the-truth-about-produce-wash#
      3. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/wash-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables
      4. ↑ https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/apples/
      5. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tianxi-Yang/publication/320660620_Effectiveness_of_Commercial_and_Homemade_Washing_Agents_in_Removing_Pesticide_Residues_on_and_in_Apples/links/5a012ef0aca2725286e28633/Effectiveness-of-Commercial-and-Homemade-Washing-Agents-in-Removing-Pesticide-Residues-on-and-in-Apples.pdf
      6. ↑ https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/4336e/#:~:text=Use%20clean%20potable%20cool%20to,minutes%20in%20cool%2C%20potable%20water
      7. ↑ https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/wash-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables
      8. ↑ https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2024/05/06/why-you-should-wash-your-fruits-and-vegetables
      9. ↑ https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Guide%20to%20Washing%20Fresh%20Produce508.pdf
      1. ↑ https://www.atchison.k-state.edu/docs/food_safety_health_nutrition/Washing%20Food.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/smarter-should-you-wash-produce-with-baking-soda-a6385579987/
      3. ↑ https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/safe-ways-handle-and-clean-produce
      4. ↑ https://www.brownhealth.org/be-well/how-clean-fruits-and-vegetables
      5. ↑ https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/washing-fruits-vegetables
      6. ↑ https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/guide-to-washing-fresh-produce-9-380/
      7. ↑ https://smith.agrilife.org/files/2019/06/Washing-Fresh-Fruits-and-Vegetables.pdf
      8. ↑ https://www.utmb.edu/food/Resources/nutrition_list/%5CMQAS_21%20-%20Fruit%20and%20Vegetable%20Washing.pdf
      9. ↑ https://www.canr.msu.edu/michigan-farm-to-ece-network/Uploads/How%20to%20Wash%20Produce%20-%20consumer%20(002).pdf
      10. ↑ https://foodrevolution.org/blog/how-to-wash-vegetables-fruits/
      11. ↑ https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-produce-safely#prep

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