Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
If you want to keep
health
, consume
vegetables
must be increased.Unfortunately, not all agricultural products are safe for direct consumption.
Most agricultural products grow in an open environment which allows contamination to occur, such as insect and bird droppings, germs, and pesticides to stick to the surface.
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Apart from that, vegetables can also be contaminated during the packaging, storage process, even when they are stored in the home kitchen.
Therefore, washing vegetables and fruit properly is very important to maintain the safety of the food we consume.
Many people are looking for effective and safe ways to clean this produce, one of which is by using
baking soda
.However, whether
baking
soda
can it really be used to wash vegetables?This is the explanation.
Can baking soda be used to wash vegetables?
Baking soda
or sodium bicarbonate is widely known as a versatile ingredient.Not only for cooking purposes, however
baking
soda
It can also function as a safe natural cleaner, including for washing vegetables.
Baking soda
It has mild alkaline properties and is slightly abrasive, making it suitable for gentle cleaning.Therefore,
baking soda
often used in hygiene products, such as toothpaste and mouthwash.
Sarah House, a food innovation chef from Bob’s Red Mill, explains that
baking
soda
Effectively helps remove residue that sticks to the surface of vegetables and fruit.
“I recommend rinsing with clean, cold water before drying and storing [vegetables],” said House, as quoted by Epicurious.
Then, what about abilities
baking
soda
in removing pesticides?Studies show, washing vegetables with a solution
baking
soda
can reduce pesticide residues by up to 66.7-98.9 percent.
This is much more effective than just using tap water which can only reduce residue by 26.7-62.9 percent.
However, because pesticide levels in vegetables are generally very low, additional benefits from
baking
soda
it’s actually quite small.
In the end, the study concluded that the benefits of washing vegetables with
baking
soda
there are, but very minimal.
So, if you don’t want the hassle, washing with clean water is enough, as long as the washing is dried well to prevent bacterial growth.
See how to wash vegetables with baking soda on the next page..
How to use baking soda to wash vegetables
According
goldensamoyedHealth
, to use
baking soda
as a vegetable cleaner, the recommended dose is around 0.84 grams (g) of baking soda per 100 milliliters (ml) of water.
Soaking vegetables and fruit in this solution for 15 minutes has been proven to be able to remove almost all pesticide residue and attached germs.However, for daily use, you only need to mix one teaspoon of baking soda in one glass of cold water.
Soak vegetables and fruit in the solution for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.After that, rinse with clean water so that there are no traces of baking soda left behind.
Due to the alkaline nature of baking soda, soaking for too long or not rinsing well can damage the texture of the more delicate vegetables.Therefore, do not soak for more than 15 minutes.
For hard-skinned vegetables such as pumpkin, potatoes or sweet potatoes, you can scrub them with a vegetable brush until clean.As for the tomatoes, simply rinse them under running water for about 30 seconds while rubbing them gently with your hands.
Leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, or kale, should be separated into strands or florets.Then, rinse the strands or florets one by one under running water while rubbing with your hands for about one minute.
Since lettuce is usually eaten raw, it is a good idea to discard any outer leaves that are damaged or look dirty as they are likely to contain bacteria.
Keep in mind, there is no method for washing vegetables at home that can completely remove all germs or pesticides.The only way to kill germs effectively is to cook vegetables and fruit at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius.
So,
baking soda
Can be used to wash vegetables as a safe cleaning alternative.However, it must be used correctly so as not to damage the texture and taste of the produce.
How to Wash Vegetables
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