The issue of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables is always a concern for modern humans. Leafy greens and fruits – essential foods that provide valuable nutrients – can become a major hazard on every family’s dining table.
To ensure food safety, there are many ways to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables shared by many experts.
Ways to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables
Jin Jin, a nutrition expert at the Clinical Nutrition Department, Peking International Hospital, China, shares some ways to remove pesticides from fruits, vegetables, and fruits.
Soak and rinse with clean water
Rinsing is a basic method to remove dirt and other pesticides from the surface of fruits and vegetables. After rinsing off the dirt on the surface, soak the fruits and vegetables in clean water for at least 10 minutes. You can use a fruit and vegetable cleaner to enhance the ability to dissolve pesticides. After soaking, rinse the fruits and vegetables under running water several times.
Soaking and rinsing with clean water is a basic method to remove dirt and other pesticides from fruits and vegetables (Photo: Goodnet)
This method can be applied to leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale…
Soak in an alkaline solution
Rinse off the dirt on fruits and vegetables, soak them in an alkaline solution for about 5-15 minutes, then rinse again with clean water 3-5 times.
All types of fruits and vegetables can be treated this way.
Peel the skin
Peeling the skin is the most effective way to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables (Photo: Goodnet)
There is a relatively high amount of pesticides on the surface of fruits and vegetables, so peeling the skin is the most effective way to remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables.
All types of fruits and vegetables can be treated this way: apples, pears, kiwis, cucumbers, carrots, zucchinis, eggplants, beetroots…
Blanch with boiling water
Pesticides are easily degraded when exposed to high temperatures, so blanching fruits and vegetables with boiling water is very effective in removing pesticide residues. The drawback of this method is that many types of fruits and vegetables will become withered after being exposed to hot water.
The common way is to blanch the fruits and vegetables in boiling water for about 1-3 minutes, then remove and rinse thoroughly.
Let the fruits sit for a while before consuming
For long-lasting fruits and vegetables, you can leave them for several days before eating. Oxygen in the air and chemicals such as enzymes in vegetables can react with pesticide residues, causing pesticide residues to be destroyed, reducing the amount of plant protection residues and their toxicity.
This method is suitable for apples, kiwis, cucumbers, and other hardy fruits and vegetables.
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