How To Clean Vegetable Leaves ?

[english_farang_lady]

Was told the best way to clean salad veggies is to soak in a potassium permanganate soloution.

Anyone know anything about this ? How much to use? Is it safe? How long for?

Doesn't it turn the veggies purple?

Been using Boots Water purification tablets but running out soon ! Any ideas welcome.

[itsatree]

Was told the best way to clean salad veggies is to soak in a potassium permanganate soloution.

Anyone know anything about this ?  How much to use?  Is it safe?  How long for?

Doesn't it turn the veggies purple?

Been using Boots Water purification tablets but running out soon !  Any ideas welcome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know that there is a veggie cleanning solution sold in a supermarket. I used it and it was okay. However, I forgot the name of this product. For me I use Baking soda to clean my veggie. I use Potassium Permanganate soemtimes.

For Potassium permanganate or Dang Tub Tim in Thai, use only a few amount (about the size of the head of a match stick for a litre of water). Dissolve it in water first and then soak your already well-rinsed veggie in the solution for about 10 minutes. Caution, it is better with green leaf veggie because it won't turn purple. If you plan to soak iceberg lettuce, I'm afraid it may turn purple. After 10 minutes, rinse your veggie well then it should be fine to eat. IMO, it is quite safe and it will kill bacteria and some insects that come with your veggie, assuming you buy your veggie at the local market. If you buy your veggie from supermarkets (i.e. Tops, Villa, Lotus, Carre Fourre) and it is organically grown, then I think Baking Soda should be okay.

Hope this help.

[english_farang_lady]

Was told the best way to clean salad veggies is to soak in a potassium permanganate soloution.

Anyone know anything about this ?  How much to use?  Is it safe?  How long for?

Doesn't it turn the veggies purple?

Been using Boots Water purification tablets but running out soon !  Any ideas welcome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know that there is a veggie cleanning solution sold in a supermarket. I used it and it was okay. However, I forgot the name of this product. For me I use Baking soda to clean my veggie. I use Potassium Permanganate soemtimes.

For Potassium permanganate or Dang Tub Tim in Thai, use only a few amount (about the size of the head of a match stick for a litre of water). Dissolve it in water first and then soak your already well-rinsed veggie in the solution for about 10 minutes. Caution, it is better with green leaf veggie because it won't turn purple. If you plan to soak iceberg lettuce, I'm afraid it may turn purple. After 10 minutes, rinse your veggie well then it should be fine to eat. IMO, it is quite safe and it will kill bacteria and some insects that come with your veggie, assuming you buy your veggie at the local market. If you buy your veggie from supermarkets (i.e. Tops, Villa, Lotus, Carre Fourre) and it is organically grown, then I think Baking Soda should be okay.

Hope this help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Tree ! Your post helps very much, thank you. Fascinated by your use of baking soda, does this really kill bugs and clean leaves ? Dont they go very soggy? How strong a solution and how long do you leave it in ? I think I would rather use Baking Soda than pp. I will try the PP though, now I know how much to use. Thanks a million

[bakachan]

ive used permanganate in water filters but never heard of using it for vegetables.

ide make sure they're rinsed very good. it is a poison and if you've ever gotten

it on your hands it doesn't come off for weeks. if the lettuce is turning purple

is the plant absorbing the permanganate and therefore your ingesting it?

this subject came up between me and a friend a few weeks ago. they sell

the pre-packaged salad's here in the states and there had been some e-coli

poisioning from the lettuce. I found out that the plant actually takes up the

pathogen inside the plant! there is no way to wash it off so be careful if you

can about where the lettuce is from.

this article is where i found this info.

http://unisci.com/stories/20021/0129023.htm

edit: i found this on the msds sheet for permanganate. It can burn the gastro intestinal system so be careful with your concentration.

Ingestion:

Ingestion of solid or high concentrations causes severe distress of gastro-intestinal system with possible burns and edema; slow pulse; shock with fall of blood pressure. May be fatal. Ingestion of concentrations up to 1% causes burning of the throat, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain; 2-3% causes anemia and swelling of the throat with possible suffocation; 4-5% may cause kidney damage.

Edited October 22, 2005 by bakachan

[chownah]

Different people have different ideas about what hygiene is necessary for a healthy life. Here in a small village in the north my wife soaks vegetable in a considerable amount of water for awhile...I've never timed it but she leaves them in for probably half an hour or more....and then scrubs the scrubbable ones with a brush and swishes the swishable one with hands etc. Seems to work fine. She peels the peelable ones too.

Almost forgot...she just uses plain water...nothing added...but it is drinkable water....from our well...run through a slow sand filter only....the water tests as drinkable.

Edited October 22, 2005 by chownah

[stoneman]

Different people have different ideas about what hygiene is necessary for a healthy life. Here in a small village in the north my wife soaks vegetable in a considerable amount of water for awhile...I've never timed it but she leaves them in for probably half an hour or more....and then scrubs the scrubbable ones with a brush and swishes the swishable one with hands etc. Seems to work fine. She peels the peelable ones too.

Almost forgot...she just uses plain water...nothing added...but it is drinkable water....from our well...run through a slow sand filter only....the water tests as drinkable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Chownah...

Not to change the subject, but am interested in how you had your water tested...I have a place north of Udon Thani and I have a 40 mtr drilled water well and would like to have the water tested...At this time we are only using the water for watering the fruit trees and other plants that we have started...

Stoneman

[jingjingna]

Many thanks to Itsatree for the info. A while back I purchased an iceberg lettuce from tops to make a salad and everyone who ate the salad ended up with a severe food poisoning. That put me off salads since, but thanks to your post, I might be brave enough to start over again!

[katana]

...this subject came up between me and a friend a few weeks ago. they sell

the pre-packaged salad's here in the states and there had been some e-coli

poisioning from the lettuce.  I found out that the plant actually takes up the

pathogen inside the plant!  there is no way to wash it off so be careful if you

can about where the lettuce is from.

this article is where i found this info.

http://unisci.com/stories/20021/0129023.htm

Interesting article. One theory I've heard is that so-called 'Bangkok Belly' could in part be caused by the use of (or former use of) night soil used to fertilize the rice in the paddies. The locals are most probably immune to the Escherichia Coli bacteria therefore affording them some degree of protection.

[itsatree]

Was told the best way to clean salad veggies is to soak in a potassium permanganate soloution.

Anyone know anything about this ?  How much to use?  Is it safe?  How long for?

Doesn't it turn the veggies purple?

Been using Boots Water purification tablets but running out soon !  Any ideas welcome.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm glad that my reply does something good here.

I've also checked for other things that can be used to clean veggie and fruit from various web sites (Thai language). You can use solution of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or salt to clean veggie. This will reduce the chemicals left on the veggie. However, one web site states that Sodium bicarbonate (Baking soda) does much better to reduce left-over chemicals on veggie by 90%.

To clean veggie by Baking soda, dissolve 1 tablespoon of Baking soda in approx. 4 litre of water. Then soak well-rinsed veggie leaves for about 15-20 minutes. Then rinse well before eating. The key thing is of course, using clean water to clean your veggie too.

For those who can read Thai, here is the original post by K. Som from this web.

http://www.khonmuang.com/BB/viewtopic.php?...9c4d9bddc217688

คราวนี้ลองมาดูวิธีการล้างผักกันบ้าง ผักไม่ว่าจะเป็นผักประเภทมีสารพิษหรือปลอดสารพิษ เป็นผักล้มลุกหรือยืนต้น เป็นผักเศรษฐกิจหรือผักพื้นบ้าน ขอให้ยึดเรื่องการล้างผักให้สะอาดปลอดภัยเป็นอันดับแรก ซึ่งวิธีการล้างเป็นเรื่องที่ต้องให้ความใส่ใจให้มากสักหน่อย

ไม่จำเป็นจะต้องไปซื้อหาเครื่องล้างผักใช้โอโซนหรือใช้น้ำยาล้างผักราคาแพง มีวิธีง่ายๆ ในการล้างผักให้สะอาด ซึ่งมีคนเคยทำการศึกษาวิจัยมาแล้วพบว่าสามารถกำจัดสารพิษหรือยาฆ่าแมลงไปได้มาก ซึ่งก็ได้แก่ การล้างด้วยผงฟู หรือน้ำส้มสายชู หรือเกลือ หรือด่างทับทิม หรือการล้างด้วยน้ำเปล่า

วิธีที่น่าจะดีที่สุดในการล้างผักคือการใช้ผงฟู ใช้ผงฟูหรือโซเดียมไบคาร์โบเนต หรือโซดาไบคาร์โบเนตที่หาซื้อได้ตามร้านค้าทั่วไปนี่แหละเติมลงในอ่างล้างผักหรืออ่างขนาดกลางสักหนึ่งช้อนโต๊ะหรือหนึ่งช้อนซุป เติมน้ำให้เกือบเต็มอ่าง แล้วแกะผักเป็นใบๆ ลงไปแช่ไว้ อย่าเพิ่งหั่นผักก็แล้วกัน แช่ผักไว้สัก 15-20 นาที จะกำจัดสารพิษออกไปได้เกือบ 90% ซึ่งถือว่ากำจัดไปได้มาก

แช่ผักเสร็จตามเวลาที่กำหนดแล้วก็ให้ล้างน้ำเปล่าอีกสักหนึ่งครั้ง ผักจะสะอาดพอที่จะนำไปบริโภคได้โดยไม่เกิดปัญหา ส่วนวิธีการล้างผักด้วยน้ำส้มสายชูหรือเกลือ ก็ใช้วิธีเดียวกัน คือเติมลงไปสักหนึ่งช้อนโต๊ะ เกลือหรือน้ำส้มสายชูหรือผงฟูจะทำหน้าที่ลดแรงตึงผิวระหว่างผักกับสารพิษ ทำให้สารพิษหลุดออกมาจากผักได้

การล้างด้วยน้ำส้มสายชูนั้น มีบางคนแนะนำให้แช่นานถึง 40 นาทีจะช่วยลดสารพิษลงไปได้มาก ทั้งน้ำส้มสายชู ทั้งเกลือ โดยปกติจะลดสารพิษได้น้อยกว่าโซดาไบคาร์โบเนต จึงอาจจะต้องใช้เวลาในการแช่ผักนานกว่า

ส่วนการล้างด้วยน้ำเปล่านั้น แนะนำให้ล้างผักด้วยน้ำผ่านหลายๆ น้ำ จะช่วยลดสารพิษลงไปได้ หรืออาจจะใช้วิธีการลวกผักด้วยน้ำร้อนแค่ให้ผักสลบแล้วล้างด้วยน้ำเย็นสักสองสามครั้ง สารพิษก็จะออกไปได้พอสมควร ปฏิบัติเพียงเท่านี้ก็ได้ผักสะอาดปลอดภัยไว้บริโภคได้แล้ว

[chownah]

...this subject came up between me and a friend a few weeks ago. they sell

the pre-packaged salad's here in the states and there had been some e-coli

poisioning from the lettuce.  I found out that the plant actually takes up the

pathogen inside the plant!  there is no way to wash it off so be careful if you

can about where the lettuce is from.

this article is where i found this info.

http://unisci.com/stories/20021/0129023.htm

Interesting article. One theory I've heard is that so-called 'Bangkok Belly' could in part be caused by the use of (or former use of) night soil used to fertilize the rice in the paddies. The locals are most probably immune to the Escherichia Coli bacteria therefore affording them some degree of protection.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have never heard of anyone using night soil in Thailand and anytime the subject has come up (even among farmers) the Thais consider the thought of it repulsive or unthinkable and humorous.

Edited October 23, 2005 by chownah

[chownah]

Different people have different ideas about what hygiene is necessary for a healthy life. Here in a small village in the north my wife soaks vegetable in a considerable amount of water for awhile...I've never timed it but she leaves them in for probably half an hour or more....and then scrubs the scrubbable ones with a brush and swishes the swishable one with hands etc. Seems to work fine. She peels the peelable ones too.

Almost forgot...she just uses plain water...nothing added...but it is drinkable water....from our well...run through a slow sand filter only....the water tests as drinkable.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Chownah...

Not to change the subject, but am interested in how you had your water tested...I have a place north of Udon Thani and I have a 40 mtr drilled water well and would like to have the water tested...At this time we are only using the water for watering the fruit trees and other plants that we have started...

Stoneman

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I went to the provincial office for the Department of Medical Sciences. The Thai words for this office is more or less pronounced Soon Witayasat Gan Pet....so for you it would be called Soon Witayasat Gan Pet Udon Thani....I live in another province.

The water we pump from the ground is not drinkable as evidenced by it odor. It passes through a slow sand filter and the result is what tests drinkable. Our water comes from a fairly shallow well..about 9 metres deep....there is a reasonable chance that water coming from 40 metres like yours would not require the filter. If it turns out that you can not drink it as is you might investigate having a slow sand filter constructed. It consists of a 3 or 4 meter tower of 80cm or 1metre diametre concrete pipe rings with storage at the top and at the bottom with a sand bed in the middle. It works by biological action. Microscopic organism live on the surface of the sand and excude a sticky coating that helps them to anchor there. They eat the impurities and the sticky coating traps some too....it is an accepted engineering practice in the US that is use to treat municipal water supplies in some areas. This type of sand filter is typical in villages in the north.

Edited October 23, 2005 by chownah

[ZZZ]

I used to clean my fruits and veggies thoroughly, but occasionally still got a bit sick eating them.

Then I bought an ultrasonic vegetable cleaner. This cleaner fits in the kitchen zinc. Just fill it up with water put the veggies/fruits in and press a button, after 10 min it’s all clean.

Apart from ultrasonic cleaning it uses nano silver and ozone for disinfection and decontamination. Just about all bacteria, chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides are removed.

There is a supplier in Bangkok selling it, very helpful. Will deliver and give a demonstration on how to use. Can’t remember the price, think about $400, worth every cent as it removes all of the chemical contaminants as well as bacteria. Never been sick since I started using it.

http://www.greenbison.com/washer/index.htm

Email the dealer in Bangkok for more information:

[email protected]

[english_farang_lady]

I used to clean my fruits and veggies thoroughly, but occasionally still got a bit sick eating them.

Then I bought an ultrasonic vegetable cleaner. This cleaner fits in the kitchen zinc. Just fill it up with water put the veggies/fruits in and press a button, after 10 min it’s all clean.

Apart from ultrasonic cleaning it uses nano silver and ozone for disinfection and decontamination. Just about all bacteria, chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides are removed.

There is a supplier in Bangkok selling it, very helpful. Will deliver and give a demonstration on how to use. Can’t remember the price, think about $400, worth every cent as it removes all of the chemical contaminants as well as bacteria. Never been sick since I started using it.

http://www.greenbison.com/washer/index.htm

Email the dealer in Bangkok for more information:

[email protected]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very pleased with all these brilliant supplies, especially the baking soda and machine method from ZZ. Going to investigate further, thanks to everyone, very interesting.

[blue eyes]

Howdy everyone,

The wife she just soaks the veg's in water for about 30 min.Some we peel,carrots, some we do not,cucumber.Oh it is rain water.We do not have any problems.We live in a small mooban in Issan.

[p1p]

Best thing to do is to add a small amount of H2O2, Hydrogen Peroxide to your washing water. It has the same effect as Pot-Permang without any of the potentially nasty side effects.