Way To Wash Vegies ?

[traveller5000]

Does anyone know a good way to wash vegies grown in Thailand ? Does a quick rinse suffice or should they be soaked in water for 10 minutes, or even water with some chemical in it ?

rgds.

[Crossy]

Depends how paranoid you are

My Missus uses tap water thats been through our 3 stage water filter (we drink it too), just a thorough rinse. Spuds for baking get a scrubbing under the water but no chemicals.

I've seen some special veggie washing liquid (in Tesco), no idea what it's supposed to do, looks like dish washing liquid

I'm sure the health police will be on soon about how lethal the veggies here are so, as always, YMMV

[tutsiwarrior]

when I was in Indonesia there was hysteria amongst the expat community when they found that that human excrement was used to fertilise the vegies...out came the bleach and etc...

I wouldn't worry too much...just give the leaves a scrub for pesticide like you would do in western countries...

the local cuisine ain't big on fresh vegetable salads and etc, and with the heat of a stir fry any bacteria would be killed anyway...just today I did fresh collard greens and pork (the pork fat flavors the veg like in US 'soul food')...good fer the digestion...

[londonthai]

Does anyone know a good way to wash vegies grown in Thailand ? Does a quick rinse suffice or should they be soaked in water for 10 minutes, or even water with some chemical in it ?

rgds.

if you do have stomac problems easy and have a weak immune system than take the necessary precautions (whatever you want to do) - myself I do rinse fruits and vegetables under a running water for a few seconds, to clean the soil or dust.

you can throw out the outer layer of the vegetable (like cabbage, lettuce etc) or peal it. You might as well run hot/boiling water - but you will lose some vitamins, like vit C.

eating spicy foods and with a lot of fibre (like fruits and veg) prevents unhealthy bacterias from groving in the digestive tract

[tutsiwarrior]

I would agree with the above but the outer leaves have the most in the way of vitamins and etc...green and leafy, that's what you need...also have the most flavor when cooked.

With my salads these days I separate the individual leaves and inspect them and wash as required. You will also find that if you pay attention to the preparation the salad somehow tastes better. Spinach takes forever but goddam does it taste good and you get nutritional benefits from one spinach salad than from a dozen with lettuce...toss in the feta and olives, dress with a little virgin olive oil and lemon and you got a monster...eat with a nice crusty bread...

(also good for nice bowel movments, I might add...)

[blue eyes]

The wife just soaks them in tap water.It rinses off the dirt and what ever else.We have never seemed to have had a problem.

Edited January 27, 2008 by blue eyes

[suegha]

I would agree with the above but the outer leaves have the most in the way of vitamins and etc...green and leafy, that's what you need...also have the most flavor when cooked.

With my salads these days I separate the individual leaves and inspect them and wash as required. You will also find that if you pay attention to the preparation the salad somehow tastes better. Spinach takes forever but goddam does it taste good and you get nutritional benefits from one spinach salad than from a dozen with lettuce...toss in the feta and olives, dress with a little virgin olive oil and lemon and you got a monster...eat with a nice crusty bread...

(also good for nice bowel movments, I might add...)

Spinach, especially baby spinach leaves are the best salad ever!!! Use whatever salad dresing you like, but I think an olive oil and vinegar 3-1 mix well shaken, to be the best. Add anything else you fancy, eg, a twist of lime juice and a crack of black pepper and taste the difference! I also agree with the crusty bread, wonderful!

[dash]

Adding salt to the water will bring eggs of worms and some other parasites to float on top of the water and snails to leave from hidden places after a given time like 10 minutes.

[DavidS]

Adding salt to the water will bring eggs of worms and some other parasites to float on top of the water and snails to leave from hidden places after a given time like 10 minutes.

Yes there is a veggie wash that you can buy, but I am not sure if that is worth the effort.

I did read an article some time back by someone who supposedly was in the know about these things. His point was that there are certain vegetables that are very attractive to pests / fungi, and these get sprayed more with pesticides. He specifically mentioned cabbage, and I know from personal experience that diamond back moths love cabbage. Long and the short of it was he recommended soaking cabbage in water for 15 minutes. I know that would help with surface residue, not if they use a systemic pesticide.

[uptou]

I believe giving them a rinse in water with some salt & lemon juice will draw alot of the nasty stuff out.

[tutsiwarrior]

Yes there is a veggie wash that you can buy, but I am not sure if that is worth the effort.

there was a product like this available in Indonesia about 10 years ago...it was basically heavily diluted chlorine bleach...

[WitawatWatawit]

Knowing the Thai predilection for spraying chemicals on anything and everything, I'm always wary of vegetables and fruit, regardless of where they are bought. So, I soak them in vinegar. The normal 5% vinegar that you buy in any supermarket. -- about half a cup of the vinegar per 3 litres of water. Soak hard-skin veg for about 30 mins, soft skin and leafy about 15 mins. (Add some salt if you really want to). Then rinse thoroughly. Does the trick, I believe, in dissolving most chemicals -- but don't take my word for it -- do your own research. Try here -- http://www.versatilevinegar.org/

Here's that website's tips on food preparation -- makes for some interesting reading.

Food Preparation

Getting the last drops:

When you can’t get the last bit of mayonnaise or salad dressing out of the jar, try dribbling a little of your favorite vinegar into it, put the cap on tightly and shake well. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ve been wasting.

Cooking fish:

Try soaking fish in vinegar and water before cooking it. It will be sweeter, more tender and hold its shape better. When boiling or poaching fish, a tablespoon of vinegar added to the water will keep it from crumbling so easily.

Cake icing:

Cake icing can be prevented from becoming sugary if a little vinegar is added to the ingredients before cooking. The same is true when making homemade candy.

Boiling eggs:

When boiling an egg and it’s cracked, a little vinegar in the water will keep the white from running out.

Keeping potatoes white:

A teaspoon of white distilled or cider vinegar added to the water in which you boil potatoes will keep them nice and white. You can keep peeled potatoes from turning dark by covering them with water and adding 2 teaspoons of vinegar.

Freshen vegetables:

Freshen up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them in cold water and vinegar.

Fruit and vegetable wash:

Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables.

Frying doughnuts:

Before frying doughnuts, add ½ teaspoon of vinegar to hot oil to prevent doughnuts soaking up extra grease. Use caution when adding the vinegar to the hot oil.

Flavor booster:

Perk up a can of soup, gravy or sauce with a teaspoon of your favorite specialty vinegar. It adds flavor and taster fresher.

Meat tenderizer:

As a tenderizer for tough meat or game, make a marinade in the proportion of half a cup of your favorite vinegar to a cup of heated liquid, such as bouillon; or for steak, you may prefer to a mix of vinegar and oil, rubbed in well and allowed to stand for two hours.

Fruit stains:

Remove fruit or berry stains from your hands by cleaning them with vinegar.

Fresh lunch box:

It is easy to take out the heavy stale smell often found in lunch boxes. Dampen a piece of fresh bread with white distilled vinegar and leave it in the lunch box overnight.

Get rid of cooking smells:

Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.

Fluffy Egg Whites

Soak a paper towel with 1-2 Tablespoons of white distilled vinegar. Wipe mixing bowl and beaters or whisk with the vinegar-soaked paper towel, then dry with a cloth or paper towel prior to whipping egg whites.

Fluffier Rice

For fluffier and great tasting rice, add a teaspoon of white distilled vinegar to the boiling water before adding rice. Rice will be easier to spoon and less sticky.