Do you have any idea what kind of harmful chemicals and waxes cover your store-bought fruits and vegetables?
Bacteria and fungi grow naturally on field-grown crops. When pesticides are sprayed, they leave a thin layer of chemicals that are invisible to the human eye. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there.
Some fruits and vegetables, however, will absorb more of these harmful chemicals than others.
Fresh foods with hard surfaces, like apples and cucumbers, absorb less because they have waxy skin… which prevents chemicals from penetrating past the skin.
Fruits and vegetables with soft skin, like blueberries, plums, and peaches, can retain more chemicals because their soft skin allows pesticides to penetrate into the fruit.
These pesticides are designed to stay on fruit during vigorous storms out in the fields, so giving your supermarket fruit a thorough washing might not be enough.
We’ve found the following recipe to be the most effective at rinsing away chemicals:
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 cup water
• Spray bottle
Mix these ingredients and spray your blend on your fruits and vegetables. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, and then give it a good rinse to wash off any residue.
It’s a good way to get that chemical residue off the surface of hard fruits like cucumbers and apples. However, it’s too late for food with soft surfaces like berries, plums, and peaches. The chemicals could have already been absorbed inside the fruit, and therefore couldn’t be washed away.
So what’s the safest way to enjoy chemical-free fruit?
You can start planting blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and peaches in your yard. These fruit trees make growing your own free fruit incredibly easy.
In fact, if you plant now, you can have fresh, pesticide-free and fungicide-free fruit this summer… and every year thereafter.
If you have ever thought about growing your own food, there is no easier way than this.