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We all know that most of the fruits and vegetables grown today are sprayed with pesticides, and the harm pesticides do to the body cannot be underestimated:

Once pesticides enter the human body, they are not easily metabolized or excreted, so they accumulate in the body's fatty tissues and liver. If the pesticides contain organophosphorus or organochlorine compounds, they may cause neurotoxicity, liver poisoning, kidney failure and various types of cancer.

Therefore, if you want to reduce the harm pesticide residue does to your health as much as possible, the best way is to thoroughly wash your fruits and vegetables. You may think, who doesn't know how to wash vegetables? But is your method of washing vegetables correct? Can it wash the pesticides off fruits and vegetables?

The "five biggest mistakes" people most commonly make when washing vegetables

1. Adding salt to wash vegetables

Salt is made of sodium chloride. Using salt to wash vegetables actually makes pesticides more stable, and it will only salt the vegetable worms to death.

2. Cutting first, then washing

This mistake is even more serious than adding salt to wash vegetables, because it actually increases the chance of the vegetable surface being contaminated by bacteria and pesticides. You should wash first, then cut.

3. Extending the soaking time

If fruits and vegetables are soaked for more than half an hour, vitamins are easily lost.

4. Washing with synthetic detergents

This may leave secondary pollutants behind.

5. Washing vegetables with rice water

Rice itself also carries the risk of pesticide residue, so washing fruits and vegetables with rice water may make things worse rather than better.

Washing this way is wrong, washing that way doesn't work. So how exactly should you handle fruits and vegetables so they don't fall victim to a "poisonous hand"?

Six great methods for removing pesticides from vegetables

1. Leafy vegetables - rinsing method

Sunlight can break down and destroy pesticides, so after buying leafy vegetables and bringing them home, you can first spread them out for five minutes, and the organochlorine content can be greatly reduced.

When washing, first soak the fruits and vegetables for 3-5 minutes, then change to clean water and rinse 2-3 times. Once there is no foam at all, you are done.

For cabbage and napa cabbage, first peel off 2 to 3 outer leaves, then peel off the leaves one by one and rinse once with plenty of clean water, then use a sponge brush or soft-bristled brush to scrub away insect eggs or dirt, then wash a second time with clean water.

2. Vegetables with an uneven surface - scrubbing method

For fruits and vegetables with an uneven surface or fuzz on the skin, some places cannot be cleaned by hand, so you can use a soft-bristled brush to carefully scrub the surface of the fruits and vegetables, then rinse with plenty of clean water. Examples include cauliflower and broccoli. For this type of vegetable, it is recommended to blanch them in water briefly before cooking.

3. Melons, eggplants, radishes - peeling method

Cucumbers, eggplants and radishes should be eaten peeled as much as possible. Although eggplant skin and the like are rich in nutrients, when their safety cannot be guaranteed, it is recommended to peel them before eating.

Before peeling, first rinse them clean with plenty of water and scrub away surface dirt with a soft-bristled brush. After washing, use a paper towel to wipe the surface dry, so that when peeling, dirt or dirty water will not contaminate the edible part. Cucumbers can be rubbed and washed with a little salt, then eaten after peeling.

4. Bok choy, green peppers - cutting method

When pesticides are sprayed on bok choy and similar vegetables, the pesticides gather along the leaf stalks at the base of the stalks, so the base of the stalks should be cut off first. The stem end of green peppers is sunken and also easily collects pesticides, so it should be cut off before washing.

After rinsing under running water, you can change to a new basin of water, add two spoonfuls of edible baking soda and soak for a while. An acid-base neutralization method can be used to remove some of the pesticides. Edible baking soda powder is water-soluble, so it can clean without leaving residue.

5. High-temperature blanching method

After leafy vegetables are washed and before eating, blanching them will make you feel more at ease. When blanching, keep the pot lid open so the residual pesticides can break down and evaporate.

Pesticides may dissolve into the soup, so the blanching water should be poured out and not drunk.

6. Storage method

Fruits and vegetables that do not spoil easily can be bought and stored for several days first, but do not stuff them directly into the refrigerator. During storage, the enzymes originally contained in the plant will gradually break down the residual pesticides. Examples include cucumber, pumpkin, onion, taro, carrot, white radish and so on.

Meat and seafood also have clever washing tips

1. Pork, beef

Soak the meat in baking soda water for 5 minutes, then rinse it. The dirt on the meat can then be easily washed away.

2. Fish

After cutting open the fish belly and washing it clean, put the fish in cold water, then pour a little vinegar and pepper into the water. This can greatly reduce the fishy smell of the fish. Alternatively, scrub it a few times with rice water, or pour two spoonfuls of vinegar into cold water, put the fish in and wash it, all of which can reduce the fishy smell.

3. Crabs and shellfish

Scrub the crab shells with salt water, then put the crabs in lightly salted water to soak, so they can spit out the dirt themselves. Change the lightly salted water several times to make sure the crabs are washed clean.

Shellfish should be soaked in water for a longer time, which helps wash away the dirt.