In an ideal world, we’d have the budget to plan meals with only organic foods, get someone else to cook for us, and enjoy our time relaxing. But since reality isn’t that perfect (and I haven’t found a personal organic chef to free up time for relaxation, or a dryer that folds laundry), compromise is often necessary.
If buying fully organic isn’t possible, you can reduce pesticide intake by choosing the most important organic foods. For our family, we prioritize purchasing organic, grass-fed, and pasture-raised meats, as conventional meats often contain higher levels of pesticides, antibiotics, and unhealthy fats. Additionally, the meat is lower in Omega-3s and CLA. When it comes to produce, we focus on buying the “Dirty Dozen” organically and don’t worry too much about the “Clean 15” when on a budget.
Regardless of whether the produce is organic, if I didn’t grow it myself or get it from reliable farmer friends, I make sure to thoroughly wash all the fruits and vegetables we eat. This is especially crucial for non-organic produce, though I wash store-bought organic ones too. Research from the University of Maine has shown that many popular fruit and vegetable washes contain chlorine and, in tests, weren’t more effective than distilled water. Unfortunately, neither store-bought washes nor vinegar completely eliminate waxes, pesticides, and residues.
So, what’s the solution? Homemade fruit and vegetable washes work well to remove residue and also help extend the freshness of these foods by removing bacteria that cause decay. Different produce types may need different washing methods, but three simple recipes can clean almost every kind of produce.
The easiest and cheapest natural cleaner is plain white vinegar. I use this for produce with a skin. I place the items in a cleaned kitchen sink or large bowl, fill it with water, and add a cup of white vinegar. After soaking for up to an hour, I scrub gently, rinse, and let the produce dry fully before refrigerating it.
Lettuce and greens require a bit more care since they’re delicate. For greens, I dissolve two tablespoons of salt in two cups of water, add the juice of one lemon, and spray it onto the greens. After a minute, I add them to a vinegar water soak for about 15 minutes, rinse with cool water, and dry completely using a salad spinner before storage. Keeping greens in mason jars with lids helps them stay fresh longer.
Berries are quite tricky to clean due to their delicate nature and tendency to absorb flavors. I use diluted fresh lemon juice to clean berries by mixing two cups of water with half a cup of fresh lemon juice, coating the berries thoroughly, and soaking them in fresh water for about 15 minutes before drying them completely.
About those little stickers on produce: they’re more than just a nuisance. They help indicate how the produce was grown. Conventionally grown produce has a four-digit PLU code starting with a three or four. Organic products have a five-digit code beginning with a nine, and genetically modified produce has a five-digit code starting with an eight. For instance, conventionally grown bananas have the code 4011, organic ones are 94011, and genetically modified are 84011. Most produce today is labeled clearly as organic or conventional, but this tip can help confirm how your food was grown.
Do you prefer to buy all organic produce, or do you mix in some conventional options?
