Cleanse Your Grocery Produce Of Pesticides With The Lemons In Your Fridge - Tasting Table

"The fruit and produce you buy at the grocery store may be contaminated with pesticides. Rinsing or washing the fruit may not be enough to remove pesticides from its surface. While there is no cleaning method that is 100% effective in removing all traces of pesticides, some methods work better than others. Washing fruit under running water and using baking soda or lemon juice can reduce the levels of pesticides present on the skins of certain fruits."

"the best way to wash lemons, apples, and other fruit or produce with peels is to hold them under running water while rubbing the skin gently with your hands. This method can remove dirt, germs, and pesticides. A 2017 study found that soaking apples in a solution of baking soda and water for two minutes cleaned them of pesticides more effectively than running them under tap water. Soaking them for 15 minutes almost completely removed pesticides from the apples."

"You can also use lemons to clean your fruits and vegetables. The citric acid in lemons can remove trace levels of pesticides from the skin of certain fruits and produce. Combine the juice of 1 lemon and equal parts white vinegar and cold water in a spray bottle. Shake gently and spray evenly across the skins of your fruits and vegetables. Then rinse them off under running water, rubbing the skin as you rinse, for at least 20-30 seconds."

Produce can be contaminated with pesticides, and simple rinsing may not fully remove residues. Holding fruits with peels under running water while gently rubbing the skin removes dirt, germs, and some pesticides. Soaking apples in a baking soda and water solution for two minutes reduced pesticides more effectively than tap water, and 15-minute soaks nearly eliminated them. Citrusy cleaners can help: lemon juice's citric acid and a spray of lemon juice, equal parts white vinegar, and cold water can lower surface pesticide levels when sprayed and rinsed. Purchasing USDA Organic produce offers the most reliable reduction in pesticide exposure.

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