Make Your Own Organic Fruit Wash

How clean are the fruits and vegetables you eat? Unless you pick your food straight from the farm, your food is likely more dirty than you think.

In addition to pesticide treatment made while food is still "on the vine,"  fruits and vegetables you buy at a grocery are often coated in wax to preserve their "shelf life;" and you can never know how much dirt your food has rolled in.

Even organic foods are handled multiple times on the way to the grocery store. They may be pesticide-free, but they're not dirt-free or free from human handling.

This is why we wash fruits and vegetables before consumption -- to wash off dirt. But, there are extra precautions you can take to make sure your food is truly "clean."

One such method is to use a make-it-yourself, organic fruit wash. The recipe is basic and simple. All you need is a large, lidded pitcher for mixing, some everyday foods, and a spray bottle.

1. In the large pitcher, pour 1 cup of water, 1 cup of white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
2. Add 25 drops of grapefruit seed extract. If you can't find this at your local grocery, check with a natural food store or specialty store.
3. Mix ingredients in the pitcher, and pour into a spray bottle

That's it.

Then, when you're ready to clean fruits and vegetables, use your homemade spray wash and coat the food liberally. Let the food stand for 5 minutes, then rinse the spray wash from the food in the sink.

Expect dirt to roll off fruit and vegetables surfaces and for the spray's vinegar component to neutralize pesticides. You'll be left with cleaner, healthier natural foods.

To make the fruit wash should take less than 5 minutes. Each batch should last one month, depending on the amount of fruits and vegetables you consume.

For more information about the Atlanta area real estate market, please email me at ed@edshort.com or call me at 404.918.2500.

~ Ed Short, Atlanta REALTOR®

Start spreading the news...