Cleaning fruit

spida · Guru

Cleaning fruit

msg · Guru

Always wash Fruit and Veg and often wondered how effective it was. Will give this a go Thanks

chicken · Senior Member

thanks for the tip on the fruit. I will certainly be trying this one as I wash all fruit, but can't seem to get the wax off.

Cheers, Chicken.

hako · Guru

My wife washes all fruit but I eat it unwashed as I figure washing alone cannot make it sterile. Most produce you buy from a fruit shop has already been sprayed many times after being picked and before you buy it. It probably also has been mechanically sorted and packed so no human hand has touched it except your own.
Please note the above is my opinion only and I'm not suggesting people who wash their fruit/veges cease doing so....my wife continually tells me I should wash it, but why?
Regards
Denis

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Notwithstanding the good advice in the OP by Spida, does anyone really believe washing fruit in cold tap water alone will clean it of anything other than dust?

Fruit is sprayed throughout its growing life, just before picking, and then treated with numerous 'things' before you sink ya fangs into it at home. There is much regulation on what can and can't be sprayed on produce - perhaps that does not give much confidence either.

Most fruit is picked by hand, and much is packed by hand, and fruit is unpacked onto the shop shelves by hand - so humans are involved all along the way.

PS: I don't, and never have, washed fruit before eating. I must be lucky to be alive given the angst some show about washing fruit.

Cheers - John

herbie · Guru

It is not so much what has been used to make that perfect apple or what ever stay sopt free or last longer in the cool rooms,as apples and a lot of other fruit can be stored in cool rooms for six months or so ,before we get to buy it from the s/ market.Why we wash all fruit and veg is the contamination put on it from human hands that handle it packing it onto the shelf at the shop....I always think HAVE THEY WASHED THEIR HANDS AFTER GOING TO THE TOILET !!!! I bet not in most cases.(or sneezing or coughing on to it. This maybe over the top but just my take on this....Other goods brought from shops that you cook would almost kill all the germs,but not if eating raw fruit or vegs.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Understand the concern of people ... but really ... do you think plain, cold water by itself will remove ANY 'contamination' of any kind - especially if they went to the loo and didn't wash their hands etc.

Guess I'm just a silly old fool - praps Spida's solution as OP is 'the solution'

Cheers - John

B-T · Veteran Member

Just give the fruit a few minutes wash in a bowl with tablespoon of Sodium Percarboante in it.. Sodium Percarbonate (Woolies or Coles Home Brand version of Nappisan) is a very good santitising agent to will remome all bacteria from the surface of the fruit/veggies - allowing them to last longer in the coolroom or fridge.

personally I don't bother - but for those of you that feel it must be done then this is a good solution (sorry about the pun) and cheap too. We only use it in the holding tank of the Thetford. For those that are curious google the Material Data Sheets and read all about it.

John

jules47 · The Happy Helper

B-T - sodium percoboate is the active ingredient that breaks down matter in our portable toilets, as you say - wouldn't yo have to wash that off before eating?

Personally have never washed fruit - a quick rinse wouldn't do much good anyway, and I reckon we all need some antibodies in our system to fight off bugs!

Doctor told me the other day that there are a lot of people around with a vitamin D deficiency, especially young people, due to the use of sunscreens, not allowing them to absorb the vitamin D direct from the sun! Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets, I believe.