I've never washed a grape

[tastylancs]

And DH suddenly thinks its a major issue. Made a huge deal out of washing every single grape this evening. What??? Told me people recently got a bit poorly after not washing Spanish tomatoes. DCs are 5 and 9 and have eaten thousands of unwashed grapes between them. He's actually in a strop right now about my attitude towards grape cleanliness. Who is right?

That's horrible.

Percentage of pesticides found on food.

Grapes, in tests between 2011 and 2015, 89.47% had 1 pesticide on them, 75.73% had multiple pesticides on them.

Out of soft fruits (excluding citrus, you peel them so not as important) only strawberries and pears had more pesticides on them.

I don't cut grapes either. My children have teeth. They chew. Seems the planet wide way of doing things

I give a quick rinse, but it’s more for chemical residue than germs.

Watched something online the other day showing you correct way to wash fruit, which involve a 10 min soak in water and baking powder to remove the chemicals from them.

I’m sure in the short term you will come to no harm, and I am in no way trying to frighten you, but it’s the build up of chemicals in your body that would bother me.

The pesticides and other chemicals accumulate in the central nervous system, potentially causing things like early onset Alzheimer's in 40-50 years' time. Not to mention a variety of cancers
Can you link to this research? I'd been keen to read this.

You're supposed to wash grapes?!?

Can't believe the amount of people who don't wash fruit or veg.I wouldn't eat it if it hadn't been washed !!

Dontblame you're scaring me now. I might actually have to do some research. Or give up grapes.

I am a retired chef though, so we were used to soaking fruit and veg for 15 mins in water with a dissolved chlorine tablet in.Sorry posted too too fast.

I don't wash any fruit or veg. I occasionally think I should be can't be bothered.

Placemarking for the link to the early onset Alzheimer's research.
I don't usually bother and never bother with stuff I grow myself but washing grapes in a bowl of water put me right off when I saw how dirty the water was. They're filthy fuckers.

I never washed fruit or vegetables either and wasn't always bothered with hand washing before meals, then we all got a disgusting bout of threadworms. Now I do all of the above religiously!!

I feel like I should, my mum always says ‘have you washed them’ and I say yes... truth is when I was little one I went round the supermarket eating them... she didn’t mind then!

I don't buy grapes anymore after finding a mass of white spiders in the centre of a bunch that I had half eaten. 🤢

Never washed fruit in my life and no ill effects.

Jesus Toads I might have eaten my very last grape. And licking all their hands. Going to have nightmares.

Na I don't wash fruit or veg either - things like strawberries taste disgusting if they get wet. Never had a problem.

Here's my question (which my religious washer friend hasn't answered), does dunking grapes or apples under a tap of running water / putting them in a bowl of water actually kill off any of the nasties?

I don't wash any fruit or veg unless it has mud on it.

Fair play to people who wash theirs properly, but most 'eww i can't believe you'd eat an unwashed apple' people I know just stick their fruit under the tap fpr 30 seconds so hardly antibacterial.

Yes I doubt a quick splash under cold water makes much of a difference anyway?

Another non-washer here. No ill effects.

Parents and ILs in their 80s, never washed fruit either - all in rude health.

I worked in a fruit and veg packing place over the summer when I was a student. It was a big one that sent to most of the supermarkets. After seeing what went on in there, I always wash all fruit and veg!

I've said this on another thread recently, but I've spent the last three years doing some satellite work in the US connected to the FDA and within that, the use of pesticides and herbicides on fresh produce.

If we haven't grown it ourselves or bought it from somewhere that doesn't spray with herbicides/pesticides, then I wash fresh stuff really well.

Some fruit and vegetables hold/absorb certain chemicals more than others - strawberries are one.

Each to their own, obviously, but I think supermarket grapes tastes pretty bad unwashed.

What went on there @Thingsthatgo?

Still can't be arsed washing any fruit

Whatever is on the hands (cold/flu/norovirus) of the person picking the grapes or packaging the grapes is still on them when you buy them from the shop. That's why you're supposed to wash them. Will you get ill if you don't? Maybe, probably not.

How I wish I had washed the strawberries I ate straight from the container after strawberry picking last summer.
I was watching TV picked a big juicy strawberry and took a bite, looked at it and I'd eaten half a grub/maggot too 🤢.....promptly vomited and took awhile before I could look at another strawberry.