Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Recipe: A Fall Favorite
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Government's At It Again
I mentioned in a prior post last year about the dangers of the Food Safety Bill that was pushed through the House. Well, the bill is still in circulation (under a different name now) and is scheduled to be voted on this year in the Senate. The bill is S510 and everyone should get familiar with it. The initial premise behind the bill was to protect Americans from food borne illnesses and contamination of our food supply. This seems rational to me since we have been dealing with A LOT of salmonella, E.coli and listeria outbreaks lately. However, all these outbreaks have taken place on large scale industrial farms or food processing plants. The problem with the bill is that the regulations to enforce food safety protocols are not directed specifically at the culprits (Big Agra). The bill will allow the FDA to enforce it's rules and regulations to all farms even small, diversified, organic ones that have stellar food safety practices and records. This can cause major changes in the way we obtain fresh food because adherence to these rules can and WILL put the smaller farms out of business.
Right now we have the liberty as Americans to go to our local farmers market and pick up fresh produce grown locally, free range eggs and raw dairy if we so please. We can even purchase livestock and grass fed meat from trusted farms that feed and treat their animals humanely and the way nature intended. The new bill plans to make it very difficult for these farms to obtain licenses to sell any of their food commercially and will also require them to put into place the same exact safety provisions that will be required on the big industrial monoculture farms. The difference is that the big monoculture farms can afford to do it, the small farmer can't.
Overtime, demand for organic and sustainable food will grow while supply will diminish, thus pushing the price of organic food sky high. It will be cheaper to buy imported organic food than domestic. Does this even make sense? Well the bill does not require international farms to adhere to the same regulations and therefore, the imported food will be cheaper. Big major changes in the way we get our organic food are coming if this bill is passed the way it is.
Its not to say that the small farmer should have no safety protocols, but the issue isn't with the small farmer. I could understand if we were seeing outbreaks of disease on the local organic farms but we AREN'T. Then why are we punishing people who are not at fault? It will only be a huge disservice to Americans who care about their diets and look to healthy sustainable sources to get their food.
The bill is 250 pages with many many provisions. One of them gives complete control over seeds to companies like Monsanto. As you all should know, Monsanto creates GMO's. These are genetically modified seeds that produce larger yields and bigger crops. the effects on human health have not been determined yet but we do know that GMO's are not a part of nature and therefore should probably not be consumed. What would our country be like if all our crops were planted with GMO seeds? We would have no choice. We would have to succumb to this outlandish and unconstitutional law that prohibits us from obtaining food that is locally and sustainably grown with natural seeds borne from the earth.
Do I believe that Big Agra is behind this bill? Well, maybe partially. I think (as I mentioned before) that the initial intention of the bill was for food safety. But it has changed so much since then and has gotten more complex and more prohibitive and less flexible thus becoming very dangerous to Americans. Its bad enough that the Food Industry lobby has so much power in Washington. This bill would be the last nail in the coffin for the small farmer.
There is an amendment out there called the Tester-Hagan amendment (named for 2 senators in MT and NC). This amendment serves to protect the small farmer and preclude him from having to comply with these stringent federal regulations that will ultimately destroy him. Currently the amendment is not a part of the bill, but it still has a chance to get included.
Please read more about S510 and contact your local senator to find out if they are for or against the bill. Then tell them that they need to vote AGAINST it or support the Tester-Hagan Amendment at the very least. Its amazing the legislation that can get passed without us even being aware of it. If you just read this post, then consider yourself aware and now responsible for your future. Get the word out about this dangerous bill.
Read more here:
farmandranchfreedom.org
Previous Blog Post about Food Safety Bill
Right now we have the liberty as Americans to go to our local farmers market and pick up fresh produce grown locally, free range eggs and raw dairy if we so please. We can even purchase livestock and grass fed meat from trusted farms that feed and treat their animals humanely and the way nature intended. The new bill plans to make it very difficult for these farms to obtain licenses to sell any of their food commercially and will also require them to put into place the same exact safety provisions that will be required on the big industrial monoculture farms. The difference is that the big monoculture farms can afford to do it, the small farmer can't.
Overtime, demand for organic and sustainable food will grow while supply will diminish, thus pushing the price of organic food sky high. It will be cheaper to buy imported organic food than domestic. Does this even make sense? Well the bill does not require international farms to adhere to the same regulations and therefore, the imported food will be cheaper. Big major changes in the way we get our organic food are coming if this bill is passed the way it is.
Its not to say that the small farmer should have no safety protocols, but the issue isn't with the small farmer. I could understand if we were seeing outbreaks of disease on the local organic farms but we AREN'T. Then why are we punishing people who are not at fault? It will only be a huge disservice to Americans who care about their diets and look to healthy sustainable sources to get their food.
The bill is 250 pages with many many provisions. One of them gives complete control over seeds to companies like Monsanto. As you all should know, Monsanto creates GMO's. These are genetically modified seeds that produce larger yields and bigger crops. the effects on human health have not been determined yet but we do know that GMO's are not a part of nature and therefore should probably not be consumed. What would our country be like if all our crops were planted with GMO seeds? We would have no choice. We would have to succumb to this outlandish and unconstitutional law that prohibits us from obtaining food that is locally and sustainably grown with natural seeds borne from the earth.
Do I believe that Big Agra is behind this bill? Well, maybe partially. I think (as I mentioned before) that the initial intention of the bill was for food safety. But it has changed so much since then and has gotten more complex and more prohibitive and less flexible thus becoming very dangerous to Americans. Its bad enough that the Food Industry lobby has so much power in Washington. This bill would be the last nail in the coffin for the small farmer.
There is an amendment out there called the Tester-Hagan amendment (named for 2 senators in MT and NC). This amendment serves to protect the small farmer and preclude him from having to comply with these stringent federal regulations that will ultimately destroy him. Currently the amendment is not a part of the bill, but it still has a chance to get included.
Please read more about S510 and contact your local senator to find out if they are for or against the bill. Then tell them that they need to vote AGAINST it or support the Tester-Hagan Amendment at the very least. Its amazing the legislation that can get passed without us even being aware of it. If you just read this post, then consider yourself aware and now responsible for your future. Get the word out about this dangerous bill.
Read more here:
farmandranchfreedom.org
Previous Blog Post about Food Safety Bill
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A Quieter Kind of Green
About 18 months ago, some brilliant mind at Frito Lay decided that they will start using a biodegradable package. When I first saw the commercials for this new package, I was so excited. Finally! The giant manufacturers of the world are seeing the light! They realize that we can't go on adding more and more plastic to our landfills and garbage dumps. The process of breaking these plastics down releases tons of toxins into our air and water supply and slowly contaminates our environment. Most frightening though is that one day we will run out of places to put the stuff. Period.
Then the new package was launched..........((crickets chirping)).............actually no! How about a subway or a motorcycle flying by!! Apparently, the bag is louder than these 2 aforementioned vehicles. Seriously, the bag is so loud people can't hear themselves talk or even crunch on their beloved chips. A Facebook campaign was started that obviously rubbed the marketing execs at Frito Lay the wrong way. People were complaining about the noise volume of the bag and many others were joining the crusade. I'm not really sure if actual marketing research was being conducted to determine whether the noise level of the bag was a barrier to purchase the snack or whether it was a panic move by the company to save the brand's image and go back to the regular, here for eternity, bag. Either way, the decision has been made. The shelves are being restocked and we can all go back to eating our sunny goodness in peace. Whew!
But what about our planet? This was bigger than a bag, this was a movement. Frito Lay was a visionary, a role model for future manufacturers. They were supposed to lead the way into environmentally sustainable packaging. Where do we go now? I do believe that Frito Lay's intentions are pure. I do believe that they will go back to the drawing board and create a new and better, albeit more quiet, biodegradable bag in the future. How long that will take no one knows. But the real take away from this story is the power of the consumer. We take our power for granted. And now with the rise of social media we have a direct line to the manufacturer, a virtual speed dial. These big companies are listening to people and and if we build critical mass over some really important issues we CAN make positive changes.
If its that easy to make a company change its packaging, how easy will it be to make a company to remove a toxic ingredient or clean up its manufacturing and disposal operations or act more humanely to its workers and employees. We all need to wake up and start acting like responsible stewards of the planet. We were given this gift of planet earth and we must protect her. If we all just keep our mouths shut and go with the flow, companies will continue to cut corners and focus on nothing but profits. However, if we let them know what really matters to us, change can occur.
This to me is just a great example of the power of consumers. Unfortunately the power was not used for the greater good. Instead it was used to make things more convenient and less noisy for people. But maybe that will make the company try harder the next time. We must not give up hope.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Harsh words for processed meats
The world cancer research fund just completed a study that provides evidence that the consumption of processed meats can and will cause cancer. The usual culprits are foods such as bacon, hot dogs, beef jerky, sausage, meats in frozen prepared meals and in canned soups and ofcourse all deli meats. The issue is sodium nitrite. It's a coloring that gives the meats their reddish "fresh" color. Otherwise you'd be eating grey hot dogs and who wants to eat grey hot dogs?
The world cancer research fund has a scathing review for these foods saying they increase the risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancers. They go on to say that humans should stop eating these meats immediately and for the rest of our lives. We all know that processed meats weren't healthy but now they are considered not for human consumption.
This is scary to hear but may have some merit. Sodium nitrite is a carcinogen and like monosodium glutamate is still allowed by the USDA and FDA. Why is this happening? Well, we all know that the companies producing this garbage have deep pockets thanks to the Americans that are addicted to processed foods. Their lobby is strong in Washington and they can essentially control what they put in their products, even if it causes cancer.
This study is huge and it's message is bold. It's going to scare a lot of people and company executives alike. I am curious to see if sodium nitrite will go away or will there be a marketing campaign similar to the one from HFCS that tries to dupe the public with self funded research studies claiming the substance is safe.
We need to be our own health advocates. Buyer beware. Check your ingredients and put it back on the shelf if it contains sodium nitrite. My kids love hot dogs, so I buy Applegate Farms hotdogs with only organic ingredients. I feel better knowing that the only nitrates in these hotdogs are naturally occurring from sea salt.
My bacon comes from the farm but there are plenty of organic brands out there to choose from if you must eat bacon or sausage. I would stop consuming all deli meats and frozen meals with red meat in it until the sodium nitrite is removed from the ingredients.
Don't be scared, be informed and gain power over your diet and your life. Check out the article here. http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/12/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption/
The world cancer research fund has a scathing review for these foods saying they increase the risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancers. They go on to say that humans should stop eating these meats immediately and for the rest of our lives. We all know that processed meats weren't healthy but now they are considered not for human consumption.
This is scary to hear but may have some merit. Sodium nitrite is a carcinogen and like monosodium glutamate is still allowed by the USDA and FDA. Why is this happening? Well, we all know that the companies producing this garbage have deep pockets thanks to the Americans that are addicted to processed foods. Their lobby is strong in Washington and they can essentially control what they put in their products, even if it causes cancer.
This study is huge and it's message is bold. It's going to scare a lot of people and company executives alike. I am curious to see if sodium nitrite will go away or will there be a marketing campaign similar to the one from HFCS that tries to dupe the public with self funded research studies claiming the substance is safe.
We need to be our own health advocates. Buyer beware. Check your ingredients and put it back on the shelf if it contains sodium nitrite. My kids love hot dogs, so I buy Applegate Farms hotdogs with only organic ingredients. I feel better knowing that the only nitrates in these hotdogs are naturally occurring from sea salt.
My bacon comes from the farm but there are plenty of organic brands out there to choose from if you must eat bacon or sausage. I would stop consuming all deli meats and frozen meals with red meat in it until the sodium nitrite is removed from the ingredients.
Don't be scared, be informed and gain power over your diet and your life. Check out the article here. http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/12/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption/
Friday, August 20, 2010
Just Another Reason To Buy Local
Have you heard about the massive egg recall going on now? The government has recalled about 228 million eggs and the number will likely go higher. This is a national number because these egg producers are not local farms. They are the modern day industrial chicken farms (aka factories). The problem with the eggs is a bacteria called salmonella that can be found on the shells of the eggs. This bacteria runs rampant in cramped chicken houses with unsanitary conditions. Chickens are not clean animals to begin with and then you put 500 of them into a 200 sqft coop and you get a royal mess. These factories are not doing the proper job of screening for this bacteria and thus it gets on to the eggs and shipped to your local food store.
The fact that 228 million eggs are a part of this recall goes to show how widespread the problem is. This is not just one single factory's problem. This is a problem with the entire system. Salmonella is a serious bacteria that can cause severe sickness and even death if not treated properly. Why isn't the government cracking down on the way chickens are bred, housed and maintained? I am not really sure. But I do know that the government is cracking down on the wrong people. The small farmers who let their chickens run free and actually care about their sanitary conditions. Does this sound counter intuitive? Well it is, check out my older post about the new House Bill that has been passed, http://caraendriss.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-food-bill-threatens-to-destroy.html
Well fortunately for my family, I held out for farmers market day and bought my eggs from www.Carltonfarm.com, a local farm in Rockmart, GA where the milk has a 6 inch layer of cream on top and the egg yolks are orange. Yes, orange! That is the color they should be in case you weren't aware. The orange color indicates that the chickens have been fed a diet rich in beta carotene. When chickens are fed nothing but grains (aka corn), their yolks tend to be the pale yellow color that we see in big chain grocery stores. They are not really adding any nutritional value to our diets at all.
Here is a little tid bit about Salmonella and food borne illnesses in this country, just so you are aware:
"Salmonella poisoning symptoms
Within 6-to-72 hours of eating an egg, you may experience lower abdominal cramps, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, fever, chills, malaise, nausea or headache. Symptoms may persist for as long as a week.
While most people recover without treatment, some patients require hospitalization. Among the 21,244 cases of foodborne illness reported from tainted food-related outbreaks in the United States in 2007 (the last year for which data is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), salmonella was the No. 2 cause of illness, causing 27% of foodborne illness outbreaks, including 55% of multi-state outbreaks, and 81 illnesses attributed to salmonella in eggs; five deaths resulted from salmonella-contaminated food. The two biggest foodborne illness outbreaks that year were caused by salmonella, in hummus and frozen pot pies." -Dan Shapley, Daily Green
These are the egg brands affected by the recall so check your fridge for them:
Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps. If you have them, throw them away.
If you are interested in finding a local farm to purchase eggs and other provisions, please feel free to contact me, I can help point you in the right direction, no matter what state you live in. We need to support our local farmers because it seems like they are the only ones practicing food safety these days.
The fact that 228 million eggs are a part of this recall goes to show how widespread the problem is. This is not just one single factory's problem. This is a problem with the entire system. Salmonella is a serious bacteria that can cause severe sickness and even death if not treated properly. Why isn't the government cracking down on the way chickens are bred, housed and maintained? I am not really sure. But I do know that the government is cracking down on the wrong people. The small farmers who let their chickens run free and actually care about their sanitary conditions. Does this sound counter intuitive? Well it is, check out my older post about the new House Bill that has been passed, http://caraendriss.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-food-bill-threatens-to-destroy.html
Well fortunately for my family, I held out for farmers market day and bought my eggs from www.Carltonfarm.com, a local farm in Rockmart, GA where the milk has a 6 inch layer of cream on top and the egg yolks are orange. Yes, orange! That is the color they should be in case you weren't aware. The orange color indicates that the chickens have been fed a diet rich in beta carotene. When chickens are fed nothing but grains (aka corn), their yolks tend to be the pale yellow color that we see in big chain grocery stores. They are not really adding any nutritional value to our diets at all.
Here is a little tid bit about Salmonella and food borne illnesses in this country, just so you are aware:
"Salmonella poisoning symptoms
Within 6-to-72 hours of eating an egg, you may experience lower abdominal cramps, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), vomiting, fever, chills, malaise, nausea or headache. Symptoms may persist for as long as a week.
While most people recover without treatment, some patients require hospitalization. Among the 21,244 cases of foodborne illness reported from tainted food-related outbreaks in the United States in 2007 (the last year for which data is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), salmonella was the No. 2 cause of illness, causing 27% of foodborne illness outbreaks, including 55% of multi-state outbreaks, and 81 illnesses attributed to salmonella in eggs; five deaths resulted from salmonella-contaminated food. The two biggest foodborne illness outbreaks that year were caused by salmonella, in hummus and frozen pot pies." -Dan Shapley, Daily Green
These are the egg brands affected by the recall so check your fridge for them:
Lucerne, Albertson, Mountain Dairy, Ralph’s, Boomsma’s, Sunshine, Hillandale, Trafficanda, Farm Fresh, Shoreland, Lund, Dutch Farms, and Kemps. If you have them, throw them away.
If you are interested in finding a local farm to purchase eggs and other provisions, please feel free to contact me, I can help point you in the right direction, no matter what state you live in. We need to support our local farmers because it seems like they are the only ones practicing food safety these days.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Kind of Off Topic
Lately I have been struggling to keep my "green" theme going because frankly, there are so many other topics I would like to cover as well. Maybe I should start another blog or three but then I would have absolutely zero time to raise my beautiful twin boys (who are taking up all of my time anyway). So I think to myself, would my readers be upset if I inserted a couple of "off topic posts"? Would I be defeating the purpose of my original mission? Well...I don't care. I am breaking the rules. Screw it.
Lately, or rather in the past couple of years, I have noticed that many people are putting bumper stickers on the back of their SUV's and minivans. These are not your old fashioned political, racial, or my kid is an honor student bumper stickers. These are stickers denoting places that they've been to or wish they've been to (acronyms with 2 or 3 big letters), monograms and my personal favorite, stick figures of their entire family and their current professions. Now seriously people, what are you trying to prove with these lovely bumper stickers? Is it possible that you want everyone in the world to know where you vacation, your initials and how many members are in your family including pets like dogs and birds? TMI to the tenth degree.
We are living in a world where information is so readily available that we forget about protecting ourselves and our families. We believe that every one's intentions are good because ours are - right? WRONG. I don't need to know these things nor do I want to stare at it as I sit in traffic on the downtown connector.
Its so easy to look someone up online and find out their basic and even detailed personal information. It all depends on how much money you want to spend. A recent site like this scared me and I took the time to remove my listing from the site. Its www.spokeo.com. Check yourself on that site and see what you find out. Some of it is wrong but some of it is frighteningly accurate. We as individuals are losing our mystery. Its all out there for the taking and we are relishing in marketing it, on our cars, on Facebook and other social media sites. How many times will I have to read another status update about someone leaving for vacation and telling the world that they will be gone for 10 days? Great! Now all I need is your address and I am golden!
Come on! Lets not put ourselves in danger. Lets start using our brains. Take the stick figures and the monograms off the car. Especially the young college girls who are vulnerable to stalkers as it is. No need to advertise which car is yours, honey. Keep a low profile and you'll be safer.
Plus, I find myself annoyed when I see a sticker with three letters than I can't for the life of me figure out where its from. Help me save my brain from being overworked, people. OK? thanks.
Lately, or rather in the past couple of years, I have noticed that many people are putting bumper stickers on the back of their SUV's and minivans. These are not your old fashioned political, racial, or my kid is an honor student bumper stickers. These are stickers denoting places that they've been to or wish they've been to (acronyms with 2 or 3 big letters), monograms and my personal favorite, stick figures of their entire family and their current professions. Now seriously people, what are you trying to prove with these lovely bumper stickers? Is it possible that you want everyone in the world to know where you vacation, your initials and how many members are in your family including pets like dogs and birds? TMI to the tenth degree.
We are living in a world where information is so readily available that we forget about protecting ourselves and our families. We believe that every one's intentions are good because ours are - right? WRONG. I don't need to know these things nor do I want to stare at it as I sit in traffic on the downtown connector.
Its so easy to look someone up online and find out their basic and even detailed personal information. It all depends on how much money you want to spend. A recent site like this scared me and I took the time to remove my listing from the site. Its www.spokeo.com. Check yourself on that site and see what you find out. Some of it is wrong but some of it is frighteningly accurate. We as individuals are losing our mystery. Its all out there for the taking and we are relishing in marketing it, on our cars, on Facebook and other social media sites. How many times will I have to read another status update about someone leaving for vacation and telling the world that they will be gone for 10 days? Great! Now all I need is your address and I am golden!
Come on! Lets not put ourselves in danger. Lets start using our brains. Take the stick figures and the monograms off the car. Especially the young college girls who are vulnerable to stalkers as it is. No need to advertise which car is yours, honey. Keep a low profile and you'll be safer.
Plus, I find myself annoyed when I see a sticker with three letters than I can't for the life of me figure out where its from. Help me save my brain from being overworked, people. OK? thanks.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Pesticide Free Fruits and Veggies?
We all know that conventionally grown fruits and veggies contain pesticides. These pesticides can be harmful and toxic to our bodies if consumed in large amounts overtime. They tend to accumulate in our bodies and can cause neurological damage. Some studies show a link to childhood ADHD and pesticides and who knows what other problems they can cause of ingested over time? Why take that chance?
I know it can take extra time and be kind of annoying to wash all your fruits and veggies every time you want to eat them but why not try this instead. Each time you bring home your fruits and veggies, wash them ALL immediately and then put them away so you don't have to do it every time individually. Maybe I am the only crazy one who was washing them individually and then this comment would be more like common sense to you but in case you were driving yourself nuts like I was, do this, it saves time in the long run.
So which produce item are the big culprits?
* Peaches
* Apples
* Bell peppers
* Celery
* Cherries
* Nectarines
* Strawberries
* Kale
* Lettuce
* Imported grapes
* Carrots
* Pears
These fruits and veggies have lots of nooks and crannies for the pesticides to get caught in, or they are just highly prone to infestation and therefore need a lot of pesticides. Strawberries are especially difficult to clean and my son loves them. So I really want to make sure they are pesticide free.
Is water really enough? Well, the water should be warm and you should really make sure the skin of the produce is scrubbed well. For the softer fruits and veggies, your hand scrubbing will do but for some of the more fibrous stuff a veggie brush is more effective. Once washed, you should dry it off really well too. Make sure any water droplets containing pesticide are completely removed. But water may not be enough and therefore adding some distilled white vinegar to water and making a solution may be the best answer. I bought something called "Fit" at my farmers market and it contains alcohol and grapefruit oil. I spray this on the fruit or veggie and then rinse with warm water and dry. Its seems like a time intensive process but what are the alternatives? I personally wouldn't take a chance with the health of my children.
We don't know the long term effects of a lot of these chemicals but we can see the effects they are having on wildlife that surrounds the farms they are used on. The runoff from the farms takes the pesticides into rivers and streams and pollutes the fish and wildlife. We are seeing neutered frogs and androgynous fish and a huge dead zones in some areas. Its truly sad but the price we pay in order to feed such a large population.
If you have the money and the resources, you can search out local organic farms and not have to worry about the pesticide problem so much. But even some organic produce contains pesticides. So I would wash EVERYTHING.
Here is another recipe that is safe and inexpensive, and made from ingredients you already have in your kitchen. It is a diluted form of hydrochloric acid to wash off pesticides:
1. Fill your kitchen sink with cold water.
2. Add four tablespoons of salt and the juice of half a fresh lemon.
3. Soak fruits and vegetables five to ten minutes (leafy greens two to three minutes and berries one to two minutes)
4. Rinse well after soaking and use.
What about soap and water? Cornell University studied that one for us. They did agree that “a detergent solution may remove more bacteria (and perhaps some pesticide residues, as well), they also caution that soap is not intended for this use. Once it gets onto some kinds of foods, it is more difficult to remove than it is from dishes and it can make people sick.” And don’t use bleach either, for the same reasons.
SO I know that a lot of this information may be redundant for some of you but reinforcement is always good. Over time we get complacent and these chemicals are not going away. As more and more farms are able to use the word "organic" the shadier our produce is getting. The lines are becoming blurred and we need to protect ourselves.
For any specific questions about fruits and vegetable washes, simply email me for more info.
I know it can take extra time and be kind of annoying to wash all your fruits and veggies every time you want to eat them but why not try this instead. Each time you bring home your fruits and veggies, wash them ALL immediately and then put them away so you don't have to do it every time individually. Maybe I am the only crazy one who was washing them individually and then this comment would be more like common sense to you but in case you were driving yourself nuts like I was, do this, it saves time in the long run.
So which produce item are the big culprits?
* Peaches
* Apples
* Bell peppers
* Celery
* Cherries
* Nectarines
* Strawberries
* Kale
* Lettuce
* Imported grapes
* Carrots
* Pears
These fruits and veggies have lots of nooks and crannies for the pesticides to get caught in, or they are just highly prone to infestation and therefore need a lot of pesticides. Strawberries are especially difficult to clean and my son loves them. So I really want to make sure they are pesticide free.
Is water really enough? Well, the water should be warm and you should really make sure the skin of the produce is scrubbed well. For the softer fruits and veggies, your hand scrubbing will do but for some of the more fibrous stuff a veggie brush is more effective. Once washed, you should dry it off really well too. Make sure any water droplets containing pesticide are completely removed. But water may not be enough and therefore adding some distilled white vinegar to water and making a solution may be the best answer. I bought something called "Fit" at my farmers market and it contains alcohol and grapefruit oil. I spray this on the fruit or veggie and then rinse with warm water and dry. Its seems like a time intensive process but what are the alternatives? I personally wouldn't take a chance with the health of my children.
We don't know the long term effects of a lot of these chemicals but we can see the effects they are having on wildlife that surrounds the farms they are used on. The runoff from the farms takes the pesticides into rivers and streams and pollutes the fish and wildlife. We are seeing neutered frogs and androgynous fish and a huge dead zones in some areas. Its truly sad but the price we pay in order to feed such a large population.
If you have the money and the resources, you can search out local organic farms and not have to worry about the pesticide problem so much. But even some organic produce contains pesticides. So I would wash EVERYTHING.
Here is another recipe that is safe and inexpensive, and made from ingredients you already have in your kitchen. It is a diluted form of hydrochloric acid to wash off pesticides:
1. Fill your kitchen sink with cold water.
2. Add four tablespoons of salt and the juice of half a fresh lemon.
3. Soak fruits and vegetables five to ten minutes (leafy greens two to three minutes and berries one to two minutes)
4. Rinse well after soaking and use.
What about soap and water? Cornell University studied that one for us. They did agree that “a detergent solution may remove more bacteria (and perhaps some pesticide residues, as well), they also caution that soap is not intended for this use. Once it gets onto some kinds of foods, it is more difficult to remove than it is from dishes and it can make people sick.” And don’t use bleach either, for the same reasons.
SO I know that a lot of this information may be redundant for some of you but reinforcement is always good. Over time we get complacent and these chemicals are not going away. As more and more farms are able to use the word "organic" the shadier our produce is getting. The lines are becoming blurred and we need to protect ourselves.
For any specific questions about fruits and vegetable washes, simply email me for more info.
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