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AIBU?

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Original poster

Washing vegetables AIBU to ask what's normal

141 replies

Annabella92 · 16/12/2024 11:58

So I remember a few years back there was an ecoli scare and for a couple of hours the theory was it was from Spanish cucumbers, so we were reminded then we should be washing our fruit and veg. In the wholefoods shop you can buy special rinses to rinse off pesticides from your produce. My Dad always said that these are designed to withstand rain and watering do the idea that a quick rinse will do anything is ridiculous. I've also heard many tales of fruitpickers scratching their bums and noses and handling our unwashed goods.

So obviously I think about this a fair bit!!! What is normal? What do you do? When I'm cooking for my family I tend to be a very thorough fruit and veg washer. But if I'm making a quick sandwich I'll not rinse the Iceberg, I might give the tomato a quick rub on my sleeve and I'll eat blueberries out the punnet while I'm driving.

What do you do? Which do you worry about more, bacteria or pesticides or none?

OP posts:
Doitrightnow · 16/12/2024 12:43

I only wash stuff with obvious dirt on it, eg leeks.

I do pour boiling water over citrus and scrub if I'm using the rind.

DappledThings · 16/12/2024 12:43

SWLondonLurker · 16/12/2024 12:27

In what way is it nasty? It’s factual. Are you reading the responses on this thread?

Show quote history

I didn't think it was nasty either and I'm someone who falls firmly into the camp of what that poster considers bizarre.🤷‍♀️

Glitchymn1 · 16/12/2024 12:32

SWLondonLurker · 16/12/2024 12:06

The idea that anyone would eat produce they haven’t washed is utterly bizarre to me. But, I’m not British. As a nation, your attitude towards general hygiene is…interesting.

Completely agree. Not a nasty comment at all.

And OP I worry about pesticides more but equally don’t want to eat things that have been fingered.

FastFood · 16/12/2024 12:30

I rinse, but I doubt it kills germs.
People who "wash", how do you wash them?

SWLondonLurker · 16/12/2024 12:27

Elednia · 16/12/2024 12:21

@SWLondonLurker

Gosh, what a nasty thing to say. What do you get out of it?

In what way is it nasty? It’s factual. Are you reading the responses on this thread?

MindenReload · 16/12/2024 12:26

I rinse everything. It probably doesn’t remove ‘butt germs’ and knowing how many people don’t wash their hands after using the loo (in our ‘posh’ gym), I doubt fruit pickers would bother either.
But anything more than a rinse raises a lot more questions: I won’t buy more chemicals than I already have, what am I meant to use? Washing up liquid? Soap?

DappledThings · 16/12/2024 12:25

Never washed any fruit or veg. Horrifies my mum. I remain unmoved by her horror (and that of PPs).

Nor do I wash new clothes or bedding before first use.

JustKeepSwimmingJust · 16/12/2024 12:24

Always wash, even stuff I’ve picked from my own garden. Especially things from shops etc.

No you can’t get every bit of pesticide off, but you can reduce the risk of pathogens from insects landing on them and farm workers having to pee in the open air with no where to wash their hands. I’ll take several seconds to reduce the risk of diseases thanks

and I peel everything that can sensibly be peeled for that reason: carrots etc.

BuzzieLittleBee · 16/12/2024 12:21

I rarely wash fruit and veg. I'd wash a carrot if I was eating it raw and unpeeled, but I don't think I'd wash anything else. DH 'washes' apples before he eats them, but that just means he rinses them under the tap - I can't see that that is making any difference to anything.

Most veg is peeled, so there's no point in washing it (I rinse things like leeks, after I've sliced them, to get rid of mud and grit), but I have never washed fruit (inc tomatoes).

I have been walking this planet for over 50 years, doing my own food shopping and cooking for 30+ of those, and can probably count on my fingers the number of illnesses of any kind I have had in that time - it's been years since I've had a cold, have never had a D&V bug of any kind, no stomach upsets - nothing. (I had covid once, and had salmonella 25 years ago from a KFC!)

I don't believe that you can 'catch' anything from unwashed fruit and veg.

MrsBeesBakedBeans · 16/12/2024 12:21

Never washed a vegetable unless it's quite clearly covered in dirt (leeks are often a culprit, or anything I've taken straight from the garden).

Elednia · 16/12/2024 12:21

@SWLondonLurker

Gosh, what a nasty thing to say. What do you get out of it?

Original poster
Annabella92 · 16/12/2024 12:18

SWLondonLurker · 16/12/2024 12:06

The idea that anyone would eat produce they haven’t washed is utterly bizarre to me. But, I’m not British. As a nation, your attitude towards general hygiene is…interesting.

Where are you from?

OP posts:
CaptainMyCaptain · 16/12/2024 12:16

I always wash fruit and vegetables. I can't imagine not doing it.

SWLondonLurker · 16/12/2024 12:06

The idea that anyone would eat produce they haven’t washed is utterly bizarre to me. But, I’m not British. As a nation, your attitude towards general hygiene is…interesting.

Catza · 16/12/2024 12:03

I'm not really thinking about it an awful lot. Quite happy to eat fruits from a supermarket shelf and don't care who touched it. I have never been ill from eating unwashed anything and long may it continue.
I buy ready washed salad because I don't like eating it wet and my mum nicked my salad spinner. Anything destined for hot processing gets a quick rinse.

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