My Homemade Fruit and Veggie Wash

I know what you are thinking after reading my last post..."Ryan, what's the best way to clean fruits and veggies on the Dirty Dozen List?" (You may also be thinking, "Ryan, is it cool if they are dark socks?" But this post is about the former, not the latter.)

I will still eat fruits and veggies on the dirty dozen list. I try to buy some of them (that I eat more frequently, like apples) organic, but our budget won't allow for me to purchase all of our fruits and veggies from organic farmers. So for the other ones, I simply make sure to wash them very thoroughly. And to do so, I use a homemade concoction, with all natural ingredients that has been shown to clean the fruits and veggies and rid them of many (though not all) of the harmful chemicals and germs found on fruits. Here is the recipe for my fruit spray:

• 1 cup of filtered water
• 1 cup of distilled vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• the juice from half a lemon

That's it. Easy, right? Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir. Allow to settle (when you combine the baking soda and vinegar it will react like an 8th grade science project, so be careful and keep your eyes peeled) and then transfer to a spray bottle using a funnel or the hands of a surgeon. Apply generously to the fruit or veggie and allow to sit for five minutes. Scrub and rinse.

The "Fit" fruit and veggie cleaner also works well and can be found in most grocery stores (but will cost you more).

And to answer the other question...no, it doesn't matter if they are dark. Don't do it!