Do you wash fruit before you eat it?

Yes. It is common sense really- even organic fruit is grown in fertilizer and dirt which often harbors bacteria from the fecal matter of animals.
Add to this the pesticides that are sprayed on non- organic fruit and you have a lot of bad stuff that should be washed off

The 12 Most Tainted Foods

yes, always.

Considering the recent salmonella outbreak associated with tomatoes, and the many, many outbreaks of food born illness stemming from other bacteria:fruit combos in the past, I would strongly suggest washing your fruits and vegetables thoroughly.

Notice my avatar, that’s how I eat…

@shilolo great answer- good to see you back. Oh- and nice hat.

@Dog: (nice rack).

I buy frozen organic berries off-season. Luckily around here, there are orchards and berry farms for the picking. I understand you can freeze blueberries, raspberries?

@Dog. Thanks. I’ve been around, just not answering as many questions due to a dearth of interesting questions.
@ Gail, Are you asking for safety reasons, or for practical reasons like, do they freeze well?

@gailcalled: thank you! So glad you noticed. grin

By the way, that’s not a hat, its a PAPR, dammit! :-)

@Shilolo: methods of freezing good-quality berries while they are around.

Nope. I’m just not really concerned with that sort of thing.

Gail, I’ve seen frozen blueberries, raspberries and strawberries at the market, so I assume they should freeze fine. That said, I know that when people have lots of extra fruit, they tend to preserve it as jam.

I usually wash my fruit first. You never know how many people picked up and inspected the fruit in the store. I have seen people pick up and inspect every apple in the bin looking for the best ones.

Too lazy and too unequiped for jam. I believe that you can spread the berries on a cookie sheet, freeze, and then pour into a zip-log or airtight jar. I’ll go Google. My sister lets me pick her fresh raspberries. That, home-grown tomatoes (especially now), sweet corn, and watermelon are all I need until Sept.

I don’t think you need a lot of equipment for jam. Just sterilize some mason jars and fill with jam.

I do it for the same reason that johnpowell does it, and I don’t just rinse it, either, I wash it with soap, water and a rough-pad sponge. I’ve seen people in the stores, among other places as well but assuming that they go to the stores at some point, picking their noses, their ears, rubbing their hands in their hair, their butts, their groins and other body parts.I go on the assumption that all fruit and vegetables have been manhandled before I get it home.

I definitely do because I’m a total hypochondriac… I don’t know if rinsing it with just water works or not :/ great, now I’m going to have to wash my fruit with soap..

I do remember back when I lived with my parents, there was a special spray that you were supposed to spray your fruit with, then rinse it…

Not only germs, but sometimes fruit and vegetables are dolled up a bit with greasy and waxy substances. I try to buy bio whenever possible, but sometimes it’s not available. Haven’t you ever had a cucumber that practically slipped through your hands? It makes me wonder if they’re lubing them for the women. Even lubed, they still don’t take out the trash.

Yes, always. It helps remove germs.

I soak all my vegetable and fruit in bleachy water for 5 mn after I’ll rinse them in clear water.

One day I was in the supermarket selecting apples and I thought “why are these apples all sticky?” then I realised that blood from the package of raw chicken in my other hand was leaking everywhere. I wash my fruit now.

@gail. I do that with grapes. I wash them, put them on a cookie sheet, freeze until hard and then place in a ziplock bag. I then eat them frozen. That’s my candy, other than the occasional therapeutic piece of quality chocolate.

The only thing you don’t want to stick in your mouth without defrosting are strawberries, you can break a tooth that way.

I even wash fruit before I peel it. Hands touch the peel and then the fruit. When the fruit is picked, the field workers use port-a- potties. Ever see a good hand washing sink in one of those?

@tupara

Damn.. My “I usually wash my fruit first” has just turned into “I always wash my fruit.”

I always wondered why my apples taste like chicken. Now I know.

My gramma used to have an abundance of peaches. She would dehydrate them and then rehydrate them when we visited in December and make peach meringue pie. I can still taste it. She also would make peach brandy for the farmhands as gifts. She didn’t drink alcohol at all, but the great cook she was, had to taste. My grampa came in to the kitchen once and found her passed out on the floor from tasting “a leeetle bit” over and over again until it was just right.

@shilolo; have I already told you just how attractive you look in your conehead outfit?

@Seesul; how do you de- and then rehydrate peaches? Do you need a special gadget?

@gail. Yes, water. She dehydrated them either in a low oven or outside on a rack. She rehydrated them with warm water. She used very little sugar and no preservatives and the pie was unbelievable.

I grew up near the desert and there was a store in Julian, CA that sold cans of dehydrated water.

@Seesul. Can you send me some cans of dehydrated water, please? ;-)
@Gail. (Blushing) I bet you say that to all the aliens that come a calling…

i wash all my fruit because it tastes better. sometimes i honestly think i can taste the pesticides and its horrible. it lingers….....

Soak and rinse then enjoy.
Especially with the recent tomato scare it makes you think.