Tuesday, August 11, 2015

DIY Produce Wash

Honestly I am a fan of homegrown, organic produce.
We have 1/3 of an acre lot, and we have planted and eaten a variety of produce grown in our yard.
Fruits like peaches, blackberries, pears and figs.
Vegetables like tomatoes, sweet peas, zucchini, lettuce, spinach and so on.

But with a family of 5, we still buy plenty of produce at the store.

Although I am always on the lookout for marked down organic produce,
truth is, we can't always fill our cart with it.

So our next best option is to wash our produce with our homemade produce wash.

It's easy, effective, affordable and safe for us and our environment.

Here is how to make yours.

First of all, combine all the produce you wish to wash.
Then use a 3:1 water:vinegar ratio.

Vinegar is a potent antibacterial and is completely safe for our bodies.

For example 6 cups of water to 2 cup of vinegar.

Let your produce soak in the water mix for about 15-20 minutes.

then drain and let the produce air dry.
I will be mostly dry after few minutes.

I tend to wash the produce together the day I buy it, 
so it's ready to be used when I need it.

I have been doing this for years.
I read different sources in the past that claim the concentration of vinegar removes the majority (up to 98% of residues on the outer skin, if I remember correctly) of the "stuff" found on the produce skin.

Honestly, even you I buy organic, I still do the wash, because the outer skin of the produce comes in contact with many hands between the tree/plant and you.

This process is super easy.
I get the produce soak in the mix as I put the rest of my grocery up.
So there is really no waste of time.

I am a fan of vinegar, 
as I use it for many, many things around the house, as it is a great natural antibacterial.
And it's only about $3-4 per gallon jug.

Stay Frugal,
Daniela

6 comments:

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Daniela,
Vinegar is a great product and I did clean the windows with it, adding some to the plain water. It makes the glass shine so well.
This is about the very best way you can clean up fresh produce!
Sending you hugs,
Mariette

Carla from The River said...

Hi,
I agree, vinegar is a great product. I use it for a lot of my house cleaning too.
Thank you for sharing.
Carla

Kelly said...

You are right about vinegar. it's a good staple to keep in the house. Thanks for the tips on making this homemade produce wash. I've always just used water!

Magali@TheLittleWhiteHouse said...

I use white vinegar a lot at home and also to wash produce that are eaten raw.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Interesting. Hadn't heard of doing this before but perhaps I'll give it a try. Best wishes, Tammy

Mindi@MyLove2Create said...

I had a friend tell me to spray it with vinegar once, but this wash sounds easier. Thanks for the helpful tip Daniela!