The Right Way to Wash the Vegetables From Your Garden

There is no doubt that between planting the seeds to the final harvest, great satisfaction can be achieved by growing your own vegetables at home. But after you have pulled your vegetables from the soil, naturally we are going to have to wash off the dirt before we begin cooking. However, it is not quite enough to just run the vegetables under water, even if no pesticide was used. This is because as the vegetables rest on the earth while they grow, often bacteria can begin to form. And this is certainly not something we want ending up on the dinner table.

Cleaning Lettuce and Vegetables Properly

Now, to be clear, before consuming the plants from your garden it is necessary to rinse them under water. However, this is just part of the proper washing process. In order to be sure we have eliminated all the present bacteria, we will also need to use vinegar. Immerse your vegetables in a mixture of 70% water and 30% vinegar and let them soak for about half an hour. This will help get your vegetables free of bacteria and have a longer shelf-life.

Another tip is to pour a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice into a spray bottle. Now spray the mixture over the leaves of your vegetables. This will help kill any germs present and any bicarbonate residue.

Washing Hard Vegetables

If you have never heard this term, some common examples of hard vegetables include zucchini, tomatoes, and pumpkins. Just to name a few. Luckily, a lot of these vegetables are much easier to wash because they are not buried in the earth as they grow. So for this variety of vegetables, all we need to do is first wipe them off with a clean rag before letting the rinse under running water.

Also, for pumpkins in particular. You can get rid of any abnormalities along the skin by first using a brush. If the stains end up being more stubborn than you thought, you can also use a knife to carve away the section of skin, without having to peel the entire pumpkin.