Yeah, but sometimes it is still better to wash it to wash off the bacteria

Ok, I work in a produce department. i get asked this question all the time.

Heres the deal. WASH EVERYTHING YOU ARE GOING TO EAT.
At the very very least rinse it off really well. Washing should consist of water, some scrubbing either by hand, brush, or in a collander, sometimes a vegetable wash ( many stores carry somethin g like that)or very light bio soap of some sort. Google it, you can probably even make your own veggie wash.

I open those boxes we get from the field. Believe me, those farm workers aren't dainty or clean about what they are doing. I have found frogs, half eaten lunches, questionable dirt, a half dead scorpion, a wing off a bird, part of a snake, and various rocks, sticks, and god knows what else.



As for organics? WASH THEM. You have no idea what their run off is coming from-- the cattle ranch down the way, or that really pesticidy farm upriver that isn't organic? YOU don't know. Ecoli and salmonella do not care if the produce is organic or not. Remember that spinach scare where the ecoli made many people sick? They traced it down to run off from cattle getting into the spinach fields.

Most farmers care about their product and take great pride in being good farmers. However the chain of custody from the farm to when I get that box of romaine to wash and trim or the box of apples to put out on display is long and complex. There are many steps in the process and many people touching that stuff.

And I am a very hygenic produce girl, I don't want to get you sick.
But all you have is my word for it. I could have a cold or pick up germs I got from touching some cantaloupe someone sneezed on and then transfer it to that organic fuji you just bought. i do my best not to do that, but still-- it happens.

Also the wax on the apples is food grade wax, you can eat it. The wax keeps the apples from rotting quickly by keeping the moisture inside of it. Same with oranges and many other fruits and veggies.

So- WASH ALL FRUITS AND VEGGIES EVEN IF IT IS ORGANIC.

Okay, done now.

It also depends on what fruits you're buying.

Bananas, IMO, are a waste of money to buy organic. Unless you eat the peel. But if you're like most people, you don't, and the pesticides on a 'naner aren't going to deliver pesticides to your system nearly as easily as something like an apple would. The whole apple is sprayed with pesticides and most of us eat the whole apple. But most pesticides are very water soluble, so washing the fruit off does a lot of good.

Melons are one of very few exceptions. Sure, most of us don't eat the rind, but since they take up a TON of water in the first few weeks of their life, they're likely to take up whatever is floating around in that water or around in the dirt. So melons are good to buy organic as well (if you're concerned about the matter).

To me, buying organic isn't necessary, but this is a very personal decision. I've done a lot of research on the matter, done some field reports, worked for the CalEPA (Dept of Pesticide Regulation), and I've come to the very personal conclusion that most organic produce is a waste of money for me. But if it makes you feel better, buy organic!

Even organic can cause you to be sick. I grow vegetables for 20 families organically and use manure for fertilizing, which can be a bit tricky for the digestive system. Not that it's raw sewage, mind you, but it's always safer to wash before you eat.

There are organically accepted pest control substances (a polite way to say pesticide). For example, for the brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli, I use rotenone, which is pretty potent. It's acceptable to use it one full week before consuming the vegetables. I'd wash that stuff off, for sure. This may or may not be acceptable by the standards in your area. Unless you want to check for that kind of thing, I'd wash.

I was told that washing with vinegar is a good practice for fruits. Splash some in a sink of cold water and soak, but not for too long. Anything longer than an hour or so will leach the good stuff outa the produce.

For bacteria, nothing beats good ol' scrubbing. It's what surgeons do before surgery.

Fit is okay, but there are a lot of veggie washes that are way better and cheaper.

If you have a green house or live in a frost free area, grow your own bananas. I have grown them sucsessfully as far north as Washington St. . I get a crop from shoot to fruit in Arizona in 10-14 months and it took 18 months in Washington 15 months in California. start a new plant every 6 months and have bananas twice a year till your sick of them.

Well, on a side note, Baking soda is good for cleaning the bathroom and kitchen too.

The only real way around the yuck factor is to just grow your own food as much as possible. If you don't have a yard, grow stuff in pots, or start/join a community garden.

Hey y'all. Until a few weeks ago I had no idea there were fair trade bananas. At the grocery stores I've been to even the bananas labeled organic were from the evil Chiquita.

But then I found out about Oke bananas. Here's the link: www.okeusa.com/

I was so thrilled! Happy to have the chance to pass the info on.