To wash or not to wash? That is the question

[alan refail]

With the obvious exception of potatoes, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes and the like, we never wash anything from the garden. A bit of muck gets a wipe, but most things we prefer unwashed - cabbage, flowering kale shoots, broccoli, green salads, tomatoes, fruit etc etc. Organic carrots and other vegetables we buy are never washed either. Washing often takes away the freshness and taste, especially of homegrown. Or are we being lazy and taking health risks? - it's never harmed us so far and we're neither of us in the first flush of youth!

[John]

Hello Alan
When the 'kitchen lady' saw your comments she had a huge wobbler!
She washes everything in running water before it hits the cooking pot.

John

[Nature's Babe]

Alan, when we were children we ate peas and carrots and fruit straight from the garden with just a quick wipe first of the carrots, we never came to any harm either. That said I don't think a quick run under the tap to remove anything gritty harms flavour, but flavour and vitamins do leach out if veg are soaked in water for any length of time.

[Diane]

I always wash veg from the garden too - just in case there are greenfly or snails lurking. Also, cats may have sprayed them or birds may have pooped on them.

[glallotments]

We wash immediately before cooking as I think washing before storage has an adverse effect. It's the same if raspberries are washed before putting in the fridge the just become mush. I can't see how washing just before the vegetable is popped in boiling water can be detrimental.

[richard p]

we generally dont wash home grown stuff unless its a root with mud on..... ive been known to eat unwashed carrots in the tunnel when they pull out clean from dryish soil.

[alan refail]

Thanks Richard. I was beginning to think we were in a mucky minority.

Glallotments - washing raspberries! Whatever next?

[Nature's Babe]

Visualising a cats attempt to spray the rasberries! Actually contact with bugs in soil, in small quantities actually helps to strengthen our general immunity, one of the benefits of gardening. As my Gran used to say, you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die !

[Mike Vogel]

oFTEN MY BRASSICAS ARE HARVESTED WITH LOTS OF MINUTE WHITE FLIES, SO WE SOAK THE LEAVES ETC IN SALTED WATER FOR BETWEEN 10 AND 30 MINUTES BEFORE COOKING.

[oldherbaceous]

I never judge, if they are a little dirty.

[richard p]

peraps one for the old sayings "if it wriggles its protein"

[Chantal]

I'm with you all the way Alan, but please don't let my husband know...

[PLUMPUDDING]

I always give things a rinse at least just to wash off any dust, dirt or lurking insects. Obviously I don't bother washing raspberries, peas or other quick snacks while I'm out in the garden. The comment about visiting cats spraying low growing veg is a good reason to rinse most things.

[Primrose]

I do always wash what I pick these days and lettuces and greens are soaked in cold water for a few minutes before eating/cooking. It's surprising how much dirt, manure traces, whitefly and other insects come out, even from what looks like a clean lettuce or handfull of greens. I'm not particularly finicky about this as I will pick and eat a radish or pea straight from the garden but our soil is fairly light and friable, and grains of it get everywhere, even higher up the plants when the rain splashes on the ground.

[The Mouse]

When I was young, I remember being told that I might get tapeworm from unwashed veg. I have no idea how true or untrue that might have been, but to this day it has left me wary of eating certain types of vegetables without washing them first.

And when eating fruit or veg that I haven't grown myself, I can't help imagining all the unspeakable things that might have been done to them at the growing/harvesting/packing/selling stage!