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Food Who washes vegetables?

Discussion in 'Tilted Food' started by Lindy, Mar 31, 2015.

  1. Lindy

    Lindy Moderator Staff Member

    Location:
    Nebraska
    Except for things that come from the ground, like potatoes, which I rarely eat, I hardly ever wash vegetables unless they are obviously dirty or gritty, like leeks, fresh beets, greens, mushrooms, etc.
    I never wash tomatoes, jalapenos, peppers, onions, berries, apples, pears, grapes...
    I'll sometimes give a quick rinse to leaf lettuce, but never wash bagged salad mix.

    So, I'm wondering if I should. Am I putting myself at undue risk?
     
    Lindy, Mar 31, 2015
    #1
  2. Chris Noyb

    Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

    Location:
    Large City, TX
    I give nearly all veggies at least a good rinsing and a vigorous drying, and "dirt" veggies get a good scrubbing, based on advice received from several produce folks at the grocery stores.
     
    Chris Noyb, Mar 31, 2015
    #2
  3. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    *raises hand*
    Two years ago, I developed an issue eating. Eating anything. Severe abdominal pain, diarrhea at times, nausea... With anything other than water. Had to get scoped via both ends, saw GI specialists, tons of drugs, tests, homeopathic remedies, scans, you name it. Nothing worked for 3 months and it gradually resolved. Most miserable experience of my life, other than a bout of c. diff in college. Turns out 28 other people in Jacksonville had contracted crypto from unwashed vegetables that summer. Yay, me. I wash everything... Even the "triple washed" greens from some mass-distributors.
     
    Japchae, Mar 31, 2015
    #3
  4. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    Anything that sits in a bin to be molested by dumpy housewives / apathetic husbands / children gets washed.

    I just imagine that everybody that plays with produce just left the bathroom without washing their hands.
     
    Plan9, Mar 31, 2015
    #4
    • Like Like x 1
  5. RedSneaker

    RedSneaker Very Tilted

    I grew up in a household where everything was washed (even bagged salad), do it has just become my standard. I'd just give em a washy wash. Who knows whose grubby paws have been touching that tomato?
     
    RedSneaker, Mar 31, 2015
    #5
    • Like Like x 1
  6. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    I don't wash non-dirty things from our garden.
    And there is no reason to wash bagged salad.
    Most other things get a rinse.
    One thing to be very careful of in your kitchen is cross contamination. So if you work on a raw chicken in your sink or on the counter then put your salad there, that's potentially big trouble.
     
    fflowley, Mar 31, 2015
    #6
  7. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    Most times there has been an outbreak of something (other than the green onions and E. Coli) , it's been connected to a "prewashed" product. I'll wash them, thank you.
     
    Japchae, Mar 31, 2015
    #7
  8. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I rinse most everything. I wash lettuce. We eat a lot of romaine, so it gets chopped, dumped into the salad spinner, soaked and tossed around, and then I dump the water and spin it; because of the way romaine grows, it tends to get dirt inside the layers of leaves. This is true for most lettuces. I also rinse or wash most anything from the garden that should be washed or rinsed, but in that case, I'm not overly concerned as I know my own produce.

    For the record, don't rinse raw chicken. Maintain separate cutting boards for vegetables and meats, and make sure the one for meat is one that can be sanitized effectively. Always store raw meat below prepared foods in the fridge.

    Some other food safety guidelines: Ensure that foods maintain safe temperatures by using thermometers: one in the fridge (should be below 40), one in your oven (so you can tell the cooking temperature accurately), and one for temping food (Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures | FoodSafety.gov). If you cool hot food, cool it in a shallow dish and stir it frequently to bring down the temperature quickly before placing it in the fridge; the "danger zone" for hot foods is between 40 F and 140 F. Cold foods should be kept below 40 F and hot foods about 140 F.

    /has sat through far too many food handling courses
     
    snowy, Mar 31, 2015
    #8
  9. SPECTRE

    SPECTRE Vertical

    yes... i think you should practice rinsing or even washing your veggies... sometimes spraying of insecticides are being done in farms that produces those items... we can never be sure....
     
    SPECTRE, Mar 31, 2015
    #9
  10. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Baraka_Guru, Mar 31, 2015
    #10
  11. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    Any produce that is purchased is washed in my home.
    Anything from our garden is less likely to be washed, if eaten in the garden shortly after picking. If it comes inside, it is washed.
     
    genuinemommy, Mar 31, 2015
    #11