Give That Produce a Bath!

Have you ever tried bathing a watermelon? It reminds me of bathing a slippery, chubby baby in the sink. But I do it, even with Dear Hubby making fun of me all the while!

Think about it, even if you're not going to eat the outside skin or rind on fruit or vegetables, when you cut into it, you're carrying the bacteria/dirt/manure/whatever from the outside to the inside on the knife. Ewww!

You may not know this, but you have to be careful what you wash it with, if it's the part you're eating (like a bell pepper or a tomato), because the residue of the wrong soap could make you sick. I'm trying to be delicate here, so let's just say your intestinal tract could get out of control.

They make special veggie wash products, but I never use them. Many years ago, I read that Ivory dish soap was safe for washing your produce, so that's what I've always done. For that reason, it is the only dish soap I use at my kitchen sink.

I keep some in this pretty glass bottle (left in photo) on the side of the sink. If you have one with a small neck opening, you can buy the little pour top at Container Store. I also keep it in the foam soap dispenser that Pampered Chef makes (center in photo). This makes it easy to squirt a little foam in your hand and "bathe" your produce. Be sure to rinse really well.

In addition, I keep a plastic or rubber scrub brush in a drawer near the sink to scrub potatos or carrots or other especially dirty veggies. Then I drop the scrub brush in the dishwasher.

Extra Note: It's been proven that normal kitchen sinks have more bacteria than normal toilets. Don't lay your veggies or fruits down in the sink! Again, think about it.