I am a sucker for the gorgeous rainbow variety of fruits and vegetables. Farmers Markets and produce sections of grocery stores are like art exhibits, except I get to take it home!
Blue-fleshed potatoes, rainbow beets, candy-cane striped radishes, Cherokee purple tomatoes, orange watermelon, black grapes… My garden tends to include some quirky but beautiful edibles, like the Zebra-striped tomatoes, which were technically a very happy accident – the pot at the nursery said “Beefsteak”, but nature knew I needed this blush-and-green striped variety, once I stopped waiting for them to turn red! You can see the Zebra-striped tomatoes on my kitchen windowsill in the video.
Whatever types of produce you come home with, washing it does not need any specialty or fancy solutions. I choose to wash all my produce, even if I won’t be eating the peel or rind, because I don’t want any debris on the outside to get transferred to the inside when I cut or peel it. Both organic and non-organic produce can be coated in various waxes or shellacs, which washing can help remove. Washing will also help remove surface pesticides and herbicides on sprayed produce, though it will not remove any chemicals that the produce has absorbed. Washing also removes any stowaways hiding in the leaves.
For guidance on purchasing organic vs. non-organic produce, the Environmental Working Group’s annual Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen lists can help you choose where its most essential to eat organic options.
The features you want in a produce wash are:
- Effective
- Non-toxic
- Residue-free
While these are each equally important, the last one is why you can’t use most conventional soaps or detergents on produce. The scents are meant to linger by leaving residues on surfaces. Who wants their salad to taste like some lingering artificial fragrance?
However, both Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soap and Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner are effective cleansers, contain mild plant-based surfactants, and are exceedingly clean rinsing and make great options for washing produce. Neither product leaves any soapy taste behind and all of the Castile scents work equally well.
How to wash produce with Dr. Bronner’s
For most produce, wait and wash them right before you are going to eat them. Most produce has a protective microbiome, and as soon as this is washed off, the fruit or veggie starts to degrade. If you do have to wash ahead of time, be sure to dry them thoroughly. The exception to this is robust leafy greens like chard, kale, and romaine, which can be refreshed and crisped in the fridge after a washing and spin in the salad spinner.
As with all the versatile uses of both of these Dr. Bronner’s products, you have options.
For a single fruit or vegetable:
- One dollop from a foaming pump dispenser: 1 part Castile to 3 parts water.
- One drop of Castile or Sal Suds or Bar Soap lightly lathered in hands.
- Rub and rinse.
For a bunch of produce:
- Fill a sink or bowl with water and add a small squirt of Castile or a smaller squirt of Sal Suds. If using Castile Bar Soap, lather it into a bowl of water.
- Dunk the produce, swish, and rinse.
A couple “do nots” with produce
- Do not soak produce. Most produce is quite absorbent and will become waterlogged and mushy. Plus, if the fruit or veggie absorbs the soapy water, that will affect its taste.
- Neither vinegar nor baking soda are effective cleaners on fruit. Baking soda works by scouring, which is not needed here. Vinegar will lift light amounts of grease which is not the primary type of debris on fruits and veggies.
Special produce cases
Mushrooms
Mushrooms easily absorb water, so it is best to wipe them with a soft, damp cloth.
Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beets, etc.)
Scour these with a good stiff brush, but they don’t really need soap.
What are your favorite fruit and veggie preparations?
I am always looking for tasty and beautiful new salads, smoothies, and other edibles. The salad you see me make at the end of the videos is one of my favorite go-tos, rather a Waldorf inspired blend of apples, grapes, celery, and walnuts. Would you share some of your favorite combos?
Further reading:
Sal Suds cleaner shows >60% biodegradation after 28 days per ISO 14593.
