Cut out the Crap: How I clean my fruit and veg!

Good Morning friends, I hope this finds you well and that you have all had a happy and healthy past week.

There was a bit of an explosion on my COTC FB page on Sunday when I posted a picture of a bag of grapes! It wasn’t the grapes that were the issue but that fact that I said I bought them from a Supermarket and asked NOT to be judged because of this. It seemed in my comment “I” was the one doing the judging …. which was FAR from the truth. Let me explain a little more …. a few months back I posted that I had bought something from a Supermarket and I received a few comments and a few private messages ripping me to shreds because I am meant to be ‘cutting out the crap’ yet I am promoting chain supermarket stores! I was shocked and upset by these messages which I thought were vicious attacks about me as a person and inappropriate and THIS is why i put my little disclaimer up …. BECAUSE…. I was hoping to STOP those comments happening again! Thankfully I got to explain (to some people privately also) that it was not my intention to sound judgemental. Those that know me or those that have been around my page for a while know that this is not in my nature at all. I work tirelessly on my COTC business and want to help , encourage and support …. and want the same from you guys too.

Each to their own …. but me …. I am OK with shopping at a Supermarket! I have 4 kids, I am busy (as we ALL are) and it is convenient when I run out of things! (My local Organic Store is half an hour away so not exactly convenient when I need to pick up a few bananas!)

The past 12 months or so I have been ‘shopping around’ to work out which is the best way for me to food shop (value and quality) and I have to be honest and say one of my biggest priorities is having it home delivered these days. My business has taken off incredibly over the past few months and I have 2 days kid free to lock myself away in my office and work and so I don’t prioritise spending my days buying food over doing COTC things! So this is what I do ‘at the moment’:
I love buying my fresh produce from the local farmers markets (although ours don’t always have a great organic range)…..I do this once or twice a month. I love going for a drive up the ‘mountain’ to buy fresh produce from a ‘side of the road store’ (once again not organic) but this is a 1 1/2 hr event. At the moment I am getting a small supermarket delivery every 2-3 weeks approx. I am getting a weekly delivery from a fruit and veg company (they do organic and non-organic —- but as it comes early in the week I always seem to run out of fruit come Sat / Sun —- I can never estimate how much we need correctly!). I do a 4-6 week order from Organics on a Budget, Santos Trading and Bulk Wholefoods or stock up when I am at places like Goodness Me Organics. At the moment ‘for me’ this works. I do my best to buy what I can organic (and follow the dirty dozen mostly). Sometimes I can not simply justify it though when I am looking at $6 for a kg of non-organic apples compared to $22 a kg for organic apples. Take into consideration we go through 4-6 kg of apples a week (there is 6 of us remember!)

The “Dirty Dozen” list

So …. back to the grapes …. when I came home last Sunday from picking up some fruit from the Supermarket I was SHOCKED to see a Sulphur Dioxide warning on the grapes bag …. I had never seen it before (as it turns out I have been blind as it’s been there for a while!) so I shared it on my page as a ‘warning’ to others to wash their fruit as I know that this Chemical many are highly allergic to …. which brings me to todays post and giving you some ideas on how to wash your fresh produce.

I put most things in my sink and fill with water and a good ‘splash’ of apple cider vinegar OR approx 1/4 cup of Bicarb Soda. Smaller things like grapes and berries I put in individual bowls and do the same but just use less amount of ACV or bicarb soda. I always (out of habit) separate my organic verse non-organic produce. I soak it for minimum 10 minutes, but don’t really time it. I also have the Enjo fruit and veg cloth that I wipe over apples and stone fruit especially. This helps remove some of the dirt and pesticides.

More about Sulphur Dioxide:

Sulphur Dioxide can also be on labels as ’220′. The Chemical Maze books says the potential effects of it are: asthma, anaphylaxis, nausea, diarrhoea, destroys vitamin B1……PLUS MANY OTHERS THINGS…..finishing with prohibited in foods for infants. The Chemical Maze says ‘it is best avoided’.

A COTC friend was kind enough to ask her local Green Grocer about this on the grapes also: this was the message I received: Just wanted to let you know I had a lengthy conversation with my local fruit shop man regarding the sulphur dioxide and grapes issue. He says that ALL grapes, regardless of supermarket, fruit shop etc are treated the same way, in that they package them in a box with a sulphur dioxide impregnated sheet which protects against a certain fungus. He also said that they are likely sprayed on the vine for the same reason and that nectarines, peaches etc are treated the same. Just thought you’d like to know that it’s all the same unless you buy organic.

Here is a picture I found on Pinterest that may be of interest to you also:

Here is what Jo from Quirky Cooking does: AVOIDING PESTICIDES IN FOOD