Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Our local farmer’s market will be starting up this weekend and with it marks the beginning of my favorite time of year: fresh produce season! I am simply giddy with anticipation about all the wonderful in-season fruits and veggies that will be gracing our plates over the next several months.

We plan to primarily use local, organic or home grown produce, but just because it’s organic or grown in our garden, doesn’t mean it needs to be cleaned any less than commercially grown fruits and vegetables. Bugs, dirt and bacteria can be present on all produce.

So, since we’re gearing up for a bountiful harvest, I thought I’d share my recipe for a cheap and easy DIY produce wash made from ingredients that are probably in your kitchen righ now!

Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash

What You’ll Need

1 tablespoon real lemon juice (preferably fresh squeezed)

3 tablespoons white vinegar

1 cup water

Spray bottle

Directions

Pour lemon juice, vinegar and water into spray bottle and give it a good shake to mix the ingredients together. You can double or triple the recipe, but I usually just make one batch at a time to ensure freshness. And remember to label your bottle!

How to Use It

Hard-skinned Produce (apples, tomatoes, citrus, zucchini, etc): Thoroughly spray surface of produce, rub and rinse.

Soft-skinned Produce (peaches, berries, etc.): Thoroughly spray surface of produce. Due to the porous nature of these items, they can absorb the acidity of the lemon juice/vinegar, so you might want to rinse it off quickly.

Produce Soak: For more complicated produce such as lettuce, spinach, grapes, broccoli and cauliflower, make enough solution to fill a large mixing bowl. Place produce in bowl and cover with wash. Let it sit in the soak for 2-5 minutes, remove from soak and rinse well. Remember to pat dry leafy produce to prevent it from becoming soggy.

How it Works

Lemon juice and vinegar are natural disinfectants. Their acidity neutralizes bacteria. Additionally, their acidic properties help dissolve wax on produce such as apples and cucumbers.

A Few Side Notes

Do not use wash on mushrooms, as they are highly absorbent and will take on the flavor of the lemon juice and vinegar.

Remember to thoroughly scrub produce that has come from the ground, such as potatoes and carrots, to remove dirt.

Even if you plan to peel your produce, wash it well first! You don’t want to cross contaminate anything from the skin to what you eat.