Organic Produce to Buy or Not? - RECIPE for Veggie/ Fruit Wash

Want a little E Coli with your Apples? Perhaps some botulism with your Blueberries?  Could you be buying more than you want with your grocery purchases?

There is science behind what you may want to consider spending a bit more for and buying organic. Beside the listed items is the number of residues, in parentheses, detected on or in the products.

'Dirty' List

• Meat
• Milk
• Coffee
• Celery (64)
• Peaches (62)
• Strawberries (59)
• Apple (42)
• Blueberries (52)
• Nectarines (33)
• Bell Peppers (49)
• Spinach, Kale, Other leafy greens (48)
• Cherries (42)
• Potatoes (37)
• Grapes (34)
• Carrots (26)
• Pears (28)
• Tomatoes

'Safe' Foods

• Onions
• Avocado
• Corn
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Asparagus
• Sweet Peas
• Kiwi
• Cabbage
• Eggplant
• Papaya
• Watermelon
• Broccoli
• Tomato
• Sweet Potato

Before you think, eh, I'll just peel them, remember that the peels contain most of the nutrients and fiber in fruits.  Also, you can't wash your meat or dairy.  As usual pork has been on the dirtiest meat list topping it nearly every time.

My suggestions to avoid organic...wash, wash, wash your produce. You don't have to buy the $5 bottle of wash they place all over the produce section to have clean fruit. Below I have a recipe for veggie & Fruit Wash .

When it comes to meats, look for discounted organic products nearing their sale by date for great savings, usually even lower than non-organic meats.  You can always take them home and freeze them.  If organic just isn't an option, try to find meats labeled hormone free or grass fed. They may not be organic but they are the next best thing.  Most contaminates in meats is located in the fat. Grass fed meats typically are not as fatty.

Here is a wash that is great, and cheap to use....

• White Vinegar
• Water

Phew...that was hard to recall the ingredients...now how you make it is even trickier

1. Mix equal parts
2. Wash produce.

For Hard Skinned Fruits/Veggies you can place the mix in a spray bottle , spray then rub the produce clean, the vinegar is awesome about killing bacteria on the skins and penetrating the waxy coating.

For soft skinned Fruits/Veggies you can mix in a bow and allow them to soak for a few minutes, rinse then dry.