Monday, August 17, 2009

Make an Inexpensive and Simple Fruit and Vegetable Wash [Food Hacks] . The washing sprays stashed around the vegetable and fruit stands in the supermarket are a rip-off. Use this simple recipe instead to make a concoction that keeps your produce looking clean and crisp. Photo by trekkyandry. At the home-centric blog Re-Nest, they've shared a recipe to make your own produce wash. Why would you want to use a wash instead of just running water over your produce? Most chemicals used on produce won't be washed off with a simple application of water—if they were, they wouldn't be very effective in the face of growing season rainfall. A produce wash, however, has just enough kick to it to more effectively cleanse the surface of the fruit and wash away contamination. The recipe below relies on some basic staples like vinegar and baking soda to get your fruit and veggies extra clean. 1 cup water 1 cup distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon baking soda 20 drops grapefruit seed extract (available at Whole Foods or your local health food store or you can substitute lemon juice in a pinch) Combine all ingredients in a large container. Then, transfer to a spray bottle with a pump. Spray mixture on produce (avoid using on mushrooms), let sit 5 to 10 minutes and rinse. When it is time to rinse, you can rinse the entire pile of produce all at once in a large bowl or colander to cut down on water use. Have a handy kitchen trick or two? Share them in the comments. How-To Make Your Own Fruit and Vegetable Wash [Re-Nest] [Lifehacker] 5:01:35 PM

© Copyright 2009 Jocelyn Shaw. Last update: 9/15/2009; 2:06:24 PM. Photo curtesy of Marjorie O'Brien