Hello friends, on the blog today, summer is bringing amazing veggies and fruits to the table right now. We’ve been enjoying an abundance of zucchini and cucumber; a few grape tomato’s have graced our salads with a burst of flavor and color too. But this year’s veggie garden is not like any we’ve had before. The intense and constant 3-digit temperatures and the plethora of grasshoppers and squash bugs have made hubby and his garden weary.
If you’ve been a reader for a while, you know the summer usually brings shared photos of a glorious green jungle of amazing vegetables and herbs in my hubby’s veggie patch. I can call it be a veggie patch with 4 boxed sections, an irrigation system, trellises, and surrounded by a fence, right? (smile)
Unfortunately this year the heat and bugs have been causing stress for my hubby and the veggies. Hubby loves working in the garden. But he is overwhelmed by all of the bugs and the heat. Last year the garden looked like this
This year it looks like this. He has a sunshade covering the bell peppers
Okay on to some easy ways to wash your fresh fruits and veggies
What You Need
- Colander
- Potato brush
- Baking Soda
- Large bowl
- Tea Towel
Washing Veggies is Important
Washing vegetables is an important step for making any recipe, (it doesn’t matter if you plan to eat them raw or cooked) washing them removes dirt, insects, and icky things that can make you sick. In general, all produce should be washed under cold running water. Fresh from the garden or fresh from the market. I find it easiest to just place a colander in the sink, put a few veggies into the colander and turn on the cold water, moving them around well to assure all veggies are being washed. You don’t need soap, or any “special veggies washer sprays”.
Leafy Greens
I use a salad spinner for leafy greens after washing in the colander and cold water. I spin them dry and if there’s any remaining dirt it goes into the bowl of the spinner.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Like broccoli, cauliflower etc. cruciferous vegetables don’t carry much dirt because they are so dense. So, washing in cold water is all you need to do. No need to spin them.
Zucchini and Other Summer Squash
Yes, you still need to wash them even though you plan to peel them.
Root Vegetables
Carrots, potatoes, etc. should be washed well using a brush and under cold running water until all visible dirt is removed. You can use a potato peeler to remove any small blemishes after washing.
Mushrooms
I used to brush mushrooms clean with a flour sack towel. But now I cut off the stems and put them in a bowl of cold water. Agitate the water with my hand or a spoon to help remove any dirt. Drain in a colander, rinse in cold water and pat dry.
Berries
I use a baking soda and water process for my berries please click HERE. It really works well. I’ve been doing it this way for years.
Baby carrots- On a side note…if you follow me on Instagram/threads (thank you) you probably already saw this. Those wonderful “grab and go” bags of mini carrots need to be washed too. Put them in a colander and rinse well with cold water. Then pat to dry or leave on a tea towel to dry for a bit. Surprise! This is what they look like.
Are you growing a garden this year? How is it doing? Do you have any additional tips for cleaning fruits and Veggies?
I look forward to seeing you all back here on Thursday for the TFT ( Thursday Favorite Things) blog hop.
We have a potato brush!
Score!!
Hi Katherine and good afternoon. We eat a lot of veggies because my husband and I are vegans. We live in AZ where there is a drought. We have learned to fill a large bowl with fresh water and soak our veggies, rather than let valuable water run through a colander and go down the drain. Please consider doing this too as we are all living on the same planet and what one person does affects another. Nancy Andres @ Colors 4 Health.
Hello Nancy thank you for sharing. Yes there is a bowl under the colander that catches the water. The dirty water gets poured into the garden.
We use secondary water on our garden, no pesticides, and drip line instead of sprinklers.
Hubby and I are very aware of our imprint on the planet.
There are several posts here about conservation, recycling, repurposing, etc.
Thank you for your comment, Hugs!