Revealing 5 Ways to “Wash Vegetables” Many People Still Do It Wrongly, Instead of Getting Benefits, They Risk Various Diseases
Washing vegetables seems easy, but in fact, it requires some “technique”.
Although fruits and vegetables are healthy, they can be loaded with bacteria, parasite eggs, and chemicals if they are not prepared and washed properly. Simply soaking vegetables or simply rinsing them in water may not be enough to remove these contaminants. Moreover, hidden bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella can cause diarrhea, food poisoning, or long-term effects on the gastrointestinal system.
If you wash your vegetables the wrong way, be careful! Because this can be a “shortcut” that leads to health problems for the whole family. On the surface of vegetables and fruits, there may be contaminants that should be cleaned off, such as:
1. Fruit coating wax
- Natural beeswax: safe, edible
- Edible synthetic wax: Used for coating to maintain freshness, non-toxic.
- Industrial wax: Must be washed off because it may contain lead or mercury that exceeds the standard.
2. Chemicals from pesticides
- Phosphate insecticides
- Chlorine insecticide
- Carbamate insecticide
- Fungicide
3. Microorganisms and parasite eggs
- Found on vegetables and fruits, especially vegetables that use human or animal fertilizers.
4. Heavy metals
- Often found in vegetables grown in soil contaminated with substances such as lead, cadmium or mercury.
5. Soil and sand
- Often easily washed off with clean water.
Wrong Ways to Wash Vegetables That You Should Avoid
- Rinse the surface with clean water before cooking. A quick rinse may remove large dirt but will not remove chemicals or parasite eggs.
- Use rice water to wash vegetables. Rice water may contain contaminants or parasite eggs, which can make vegetables even dirtier.
- Using vegetable washing products that are unclear about their ingredients. These products may leave residues.
- Cut vegetables before washing. This ยูฟ่าเบท method allows chemicals to easily penetrate the vegetable flesh.
- Soaking for too long may cause more chemicals to be absorbed into the vegetables.
The correct way to wash vegetables
- Choose good quality fruits and vegetables that are free from spoilage or rottenness to avoid bacteria.
- Soak in water mixed with vinegar. Use 0.1-1% vinegar (about 1 tablespoon per basket of vegetables). Soak for 15 minutes.
- Soaking in salt water, 1% salt water (1 tablespoon of salt per basket of water) helps remove chemicals.
- Use baking soda. Baking soda is highly effective. Simply soak vegetables in water mixed with baking soda for 15 minutes.
- Soak in warm water 50°C, temperature 48-52°C, helps reduce bacteria and chemicals. Soak for about 20-30 seconds for thin leafy vegetables and 2-3 minutes for large stem vegetables.
Washing vegetables properly reduces the risk of contamination and preserves the nutritional value of the vegetables.