Foodborne illness is often thought of as a scourge of meat and seafood, but some of the most recent outbreaks have been tied to produce.
First, it’s best to wash produce right before you use it, because dampness encourages bacteria growth food research scientist Amanda Deering of Purdue University told The Washington Post. The Food and Drug Administration recommends washing produce under cold running water — go ahead and wash your hands before and after you do the food, too. (If your bag of salad or other greens says it’s pre-washed, no further work is needed.) Scrub with a brush and/or gently rub the produce with your hands, depending on what you’re cleaning. Water is sufficient, so don’t use soap or bleach or even commercially made produce washes. In fact, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Maine tested three commercial wash treatments and found that distilled water was just as effective or more effective at removing microbes and pesticides (you can use clean cold tap water instead of distilled).
Drying with a clean paper towel or dish towel can remove even more bacteria.
Here are some more tips for washing specific types of produce.
Mushrooms: The conventional wisdom is that simply wiping mushrooms clean with a damp cloth or paper towel, or even a pastry brush, is preferable to rinsing them in water. That’s never a bad move, but know that you can safely rinse or dunk at least some varieties. White mushrooms are your safest bet. The good folks at Cook’s Illustrated, who test these kinds of things, found that a pound of white mushrooms only absorbed 1 tablespoon of water after being submerged in water for 1 minute. Oyster mushrooms, on the other hand, absorbed 1/4 cup. The reason? Oysters, as well as varieties such as portobello and shiitake, have lots of gills, which can trap lots of water. Especially if you plan to roast gill-heavy mushrooms and need to ensure the water is driven off, you should stick with wiping them clean.
Berries: They’re expensive enough as it is, so to preserve their texture and flavor, berries are best washed right before you eat them. Sturdier strawberries can stand up to being rinsed in a colander under running water, but Better Homes & Gardens suggests that more delicate berries (blackberries, raspberries and blueberries) be set in a colander and then dipped in a bowl of water. After you’ve washed and drained your berries, you can dry them on a paper-towel lined baking sheet.
