It is evident that fruits and vegetables are a very healthy food that helps us strengthen our health, protect our immune system and help us take care of our line to feel better about ourselves. Now, it is important that they are in good condition. To achieve this, among other things, we must know how to clean fruits and vegetables to disinfect them . It is the subject that we are going to deal with throughout this article.
Cleaning fruits and vegetables to disinfect them
Cleaning fruits and vegetables to disinfect them is not a gesture that should only be typical of the most scrupulous people, but should become everyone’s routine. It is possible that on many occasions, in case of not doing so, nothing happens to us, but we will still be exposing ourselves to a risk.
The consequences of not properly treating these foods before consuming them can be gastric discomfort , abdominal pain , skin reactions or diseases such as listeriosis. Putting fruits and vegetables under running water is not enough. For this reason, we will explain in this section the steps you must take to avoid any type of illness .
How to disinfect fruits and vegetables
Some people think that if they are washed a lot, fruits and vegetables can lose their nutrients in the process. Now, professionals never tire of reminding themselves that this is a misconception. Actually, the loss of properties occurs with poor preservation – deteriorated leaves or poor vegetables that contaminate other healthy ones, for example – or in a cooking in which we throw away the broth , since it stores up to 30% of these nutrients. Now, mechanically removing the remains of dirt where the microorganisms or chemical elements of the food are does not spoil the quality of the latter.
Food sanitation rules
The first thing we must do is wash our hands before handling any food. We will do it with soap and water for 20 seconds . Likewise, when it comes to cooking, we will also have to make sure that our work space is also clean.
On the other hand, even if we want to remove the skin from the product that we are going to consume, we must not stop washing it . Thus, the knife or the blade of the peeler that we use will not come into contact with a contaminated shell. Likewise, we will also avoid that they can leave traces of this contamination – chemical or bacterial – in the pulp already peeled.
Products for food disinfection
We already know that placing food under running water does not sterilize it or guarantee the complete elimination of all microorganisms, but it is true that some residues are partially eliminated , although it is not enough.
However, we cannot disinfect fruits and vegetables with soap or detergents either . Then? How do we achieve our goal? Washing fruits and vegetables with water thoroughly using a soft brush and a clean cloth on the outside. The kitchen paper will also be perfect in this step.
Bleach or vinegar
There are times when sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or vinegar has been recommended for disinfection, but the health authorities do not give them greater efficiency . Even if we have certain foods soaked for a long time with these products, bacteria can multiply.
Keep fruits and vegetables in good condition
If we want to keep fruits and vegetables in good condition for as long as possible, it is best to keep them in the fridge. Inside it, they must be separated from the rest of the cooked and raw food and stored in the least cold area, that is, in the drawers.
Now, it should be noted that there are fruits and vegetables that by their nature and their degree of maturity can be kept at room temperature , but always for short periods. These are onions and citrus fruits in general.
