How to remove pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables? Save these three methods that cost nothing

Vegetables and fruits are foods we must consume every day. The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016) recommends having vegetables and fruits at every meal, ensuring a daily intake of 300 to 500 grams of vegetables and 200 to 350 grams of fresh fruit. Eating vegetables and fruits is good, but if you eat produce with pesticide residues, it can harm your body.

Some experts suggest that to avoid pesticide residues in vegetables, after bringing them home you should wash, soak and blanch them: first wash the vegetables, then soak them for 1 to 2 hours, finally blanch them in boiling water and discard the water, then stir-fry them with oil, salt and seasonings. This can greatly reduce the toxicity of pesticide residues without losing the original flavor of the vegetables. But some vegetables, especially most fruits, are eaten raw, so how do you remove pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables? Here are a few simple methods.

1. Soaking and washing with water to remove contamination

The main pesticide type on vegetables is organophosphorus insecticides. Organophosphorus insecticides are poorly soluble in water, so this method can only remove some of the contaminated pesticide. However, washing with water is the basic method for removing other dirt and residual pesticides from vegetables and fruits. It is mainly used for leafy vegetables such as spinach, daylily, chive flowers, lettuce and bok choy. Generally, first rinse off the surface dirt with water, then soak in clean water for no less than 10 minutes. Fruit and vegetable cleaner can promote the dissolution of pesticides, so a small amount of fruit and vegetable cleaner can be added during soaking. After soaking, rinse 2 to 3 times with clean water.

2. Alkaline water, rice washing water and boiling water have remarkable effects in removing pesticide residues

Pesticides on fruits and vegetables are usually easily soluble in water and not resistant to high temperatures, so as long as the method is proper, residues can be cleverly removed. Soaking most fruits and vegetables for a long time will cause water-soluble vitamins to be lost, so you can use the force of running water and scrub hard under the tap to break the adhesive power of the pesticide and achieve a cleaning effect. Parts of vegetables that are hard to clean, such as the ends of vegetables and the top of green peppers, can be cut off to protect health.

For leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and bok choy, generally first rinse off the surface dirt with water, then soak in clean water. Soaking can generally be repeated 2 to 3 times, no less than 10 minutes each time, and fruit and vegetable cleaner can be added if necessary.

3. Homemade pomelo peel water can be used as a pesticide cleaner

Pesticides are generally divided into water-soluble and fat-soluble types. Water-soluble pesticides are relatively easy to clean; generally rinsing with clean water and soaking in salt water is enough. But fat-soluble pesticides are relatively difficult to clean. Experts have provided a homemade cleaner that can remove both water-soluble pesticides and fat-soluble pesticides:

1. After washing an orange or pomelo clean, cut the peel into small pieces 1-2 cm long

2. Put into a container, cover the pomelo peel with water

3. Add a little baking soda and salt

4. Seal and store at room temperature for 3-7 days

After washing the vegetables, you can rinse them again with the pomelo peel water, which can effectively remove residual pesticides on the vegetables