How to clean and safe vegetables

Depending on the type of leafy vegetables, root, fruit or flower, you should have your own way of washing. Clean vegetables most when washed under clean water.

Experts on vegetables recommend that, if not washed properly, dirty vegetables will still be completely dirty. Do not think fresh products are safe, contain no pathogens. In fact, on the contrary, how fresh fruit and fruit products can still carry germs.

Mistakes when washing vegetables

Many people believe that vegetables only need to wash 2-3 water is clean, when cooking up the bacteria and parasites will die. However, the fact that vegetables are really clean is much more sophisticated than washing. According to Dr. Phan Thanh Tam, Department of Food Technology - Post-harvest, Institute of Food Biotechnology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, if only 2-3 water is washed, it is difficult to eliminate the maximum of dirty impurities. such as soil, garbage, parasites or microorganisms and chemical compounds such as pesticides, pesticides . that the naked eye cannot see.

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Medical experts Pham Ngoc Thach (HCMC) took 104 random samples of vegetables from the 8 most commonly used vegetables, such as lettuce, watercress, water spinach, green mustard, bitter vegetables, and vegetables. frequency umbrella (chrysanthemum), chubby, spicy herbs (basil, perilla, basil .) from some markets for research and testing. As a result, there are 100% infected vegetables such as watercress salad, mustard greens, bitter vegetables, squash, cheeks. The rest of them, such as lettuce, spinach, and spices, are also infected with parasites 92.3%.

The vegetables are then washed 3 times with clean water according to the normal washing method and then tested again. The results showed that after 3 times of washing and washing with specialized washing water, the rate of parasitic infection remains at 51.9-82.6%.

Many women believe that blanching through vegetables and cooking is safe but this is also a mistake. Master Nguyen My Linh, spice and vegetable specialist, Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, said that the habit of washing and blanching through vegetables before cooking to ensure hygiene and beauty when eating is unnecessary, even Releases are fees. This blanching way of reducing vitamins and losing substances helps prevent cancer in vegetables.

The fruit and vegetable washing water is not absolutely safe

In addition to salt water for vegetables and fruits, housewives also know the water that washes fruits and vegetables currently on the market. The main ingredients of these solutions are usually deionized water, citric acid, sodium, flavoring . However, this type of vegetable wash water cannot remove all bacteria in vegetables. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Head of Hanoi Plant Protection Department, these fruit washes are not medicinal herbs that can eliminate 100% of toxic chemicals in fruits and vegetables.

Vegetable washes can quickly remove stains and some toxic chemicals on the surface of 'unsafe' vegetables, while pesticides often penetrate deep inside. When fruits are deeply absorbed by toxic chemicals, the cleaning water cannot be effective. For fruits and vegetables that are sprayed for a long time, the medicine penetrates deep inside, washing water is almost ineffective. This is not to mention, now, plant protection drugs have a lot of active ingredients as well as many brands. Each type has its own properties, some active ingredients can wash this fruit and vegetable, cannot be washed in other vegetables.

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In the same view, the Associate Professor, Dr. Ngo Quoc Quyen, Institute of Chemistry, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology also affirmed that there cannot be any kind of cleaning to ensure that the vegetables are washed thoroughly. If water used to wash fruits and vegetables using substances such as deionized water . only has antiseptic, antiseptic properties, but is not capable of cleaning, but if using chemical substances for cleaning, it is likely that causing bad effects.

Vegetable washing machines can also be counterproductive

There are many types of fruit and vegetable washing machines on the market. According to Mr. Duong Minh Tri, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Physics, ozone is a very toxic gas, can cause cancer. According to that principle, ozone cannot be used in families, kitchens. In order to clean up the pesticides and toxic substances in vegetables and fruits, the machines using this ozone aeration technology must reach the concentration of ozone in the water. But when there is enough antiseptic concentration or may not be enough, the gas will also escape to the kitchen so it will directly affect the health of the housewife.

On the other hand, according to science, do not use ozone into chlorinated water, because it can create a new toxic compound that is durable. While the current tap water contains quite a lot of chlorine.

Principle of washing each kind of green vegetables

According to experts, green vegetables are divided into 4 types: leaves, fruits, tubers and flowers. Each type will be at risk of contamination, pollution of different water sources, so when washing, it is necessary to classify to clean.

Leafy vegetables are classified as the most polluted and high risk of cholera due to the high concentration of E.Coli and Salmonella bacteria from watering fresh feces directly onto leaves. Therefore, when buying, pick up clean vegetables, soak them in water and start washing each leaf and stalk under the hose. Small branches like spinach . have to be washed several times, then wash each small piece with the fist under the faucet. The best way to remove cholera is to immerse it in water. A basin of water is about 10 liters, just for a teaspoon (a small spoon) of salt soaked for 5 minutes.

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Fruit and vegetables are often less polluted than leafy vegetables because fruits are mostly trapped, so when watering is less, there is less fertilizer. But fruit and vegetables are susceptible to pesticides due to premature harvests that have not expired drug or pollution isolation. When buying, you should not eat immediately according to the habit of Vietnamese people. Wash each fruit and wrap nylon into the refrigerator and eat after 2 days. In this way, fruits and vegetables still ensure freshness and have time to decompose. Vegetables that need to be eaten immediately should be washed under water and salted. Avoid soaking in salt water and putting it in the refrigerator to keep it away from the day because the fruit is easily damaged.

Root vegetables are generally safer, so there is no need for salt water or potassium permanganate. When preparing vegetables, wash the rind and peel it again. This way of limiting the impurities outside the tubers into the peeled flesh.

Flower-eating vegetables are considered to be the most hygienic. Flowers are often on high ground and are very afraid of direct pesticides or spray, which is very difficult to get dirty. When spraying, growers have to use the leaf cover, so processing only need to wash clean flowers under the faucet to ensure safety.

Spicy vegetables just need to wash through. All kinds of spices such as onions, dill, or smooth pods like tomatoes, eggplant, and fresh peppers . also need to be cleaned like other vegetables because many places of onion cultivation are even more dirty than vegetables. they can irrigate fresh manure . so the risk of parasite infection is very high.

The fastest way to remove bacteria

Wash everything, including products that have been 'labeled' as 'always eaten' or 'washed before eating'. Remember that even if you peel or scrape off the outer layer, germs, dirt, pesticides . on the surface can still spread to what you end up eating.

Wash vegetables under clean water: Use tap water, use cold water better. With soft fruits or vegetables, rub lightly for half a minute to a minute, avoid vigorously loosening the vegetables. The hard-to-brush products use brushes suitable for brushing.

Do not use soap, detergents, bleaches: These substances may enter the product. Nothing can guarantee these substances help make fruits and vegetables cleaner than other washing methods

Wash thoroughly: Make sure after washing the fruits and vegetables are clean, there are no wrinkles and crevices left, remove damaged parts, and leaves outside .

Dry fruits and vegetables: Use a clean paper towel to dry the fruit to remove any remaining bacteria after washing.

Simple method to reduce pesticides

According to nutrition expert, Dr. Cao Thi Hau, to achieve high productivity or to kill pests, especially for some vegetables and fruits prone to pests, some farmers have used too much. chemical fertilizer or pesticide spraying to the date of harvest, non-compliance with the time prohibition of spraying pesticides before harvest as prescribed. On the other hand, some vegetables grown in contaminated soil, fresh manure or dirty waste water are also a serious threat to consumers' health. Therefore, to reduce the content of pesticides in vegetables, you need:

1. Soak vegetables in clean water for 5-10 minutes to wash or use rice water to soak, aiming to neutralize toxins in pesticides.

2. Use 5% salt water to wash vegetables.

3. Cucumbers, eggplant or fruits with a high concentration of pesticides are best washed, peeled and eaten.

4. Heating at high temperatures also makes decomposition pesticides, some heat-resistant vegetables such as cauliflower, beans, vegetables need . after washing, blanching with hot water 2 minutes to make pesticides 30% reduction, then cooking at high temperatures, thus eliminating 90% of pesticides.

5. Sunlight makes the amount of pesticides on vegetables broken, resolved. For vegetables in the sun for 5 minutes, the amount of pesticides left on vegetables such as organic mercury, organic chlorine reduced by about 60%.