Blanching: Vegetables such as green peppers, cauliflower, and celery can be blanched in boiling water before cooking to remove some pesticide residues.
Soaking: Some vegetables that are not suitable for blanching, such as chives and bok choy, can be disinfected by soaking in water.
Washing: Some flower vegetables, like enoki mushrooms and chive blossoms, can be first washed with clean water, and then soaked in salt water.
Peeling: Root and gourd vegetables like radishes, potatoes, and loofah should be peeled and then rinsed with clean water.
Sunlight: Freshly bought vegetables can be left in the sun for about 10 minutes to decompose and inactivate pesticide residues.
Air Exposure: After buying vegetables, do not cook them immediately. Leaving them at room temperature for 24 hours can remove about 48% of pesticide residues. [China Cuisine] Four Misconceptions About Food Disinfection
Food disinfection is very important in daily life. However, many people have various misconceptions about it: Misconception 1: If food smells bad, it's safe to eat after cooking
Wrong. Some bacteria are heat-resistant, such as "Clostridium botulinum," which can damage the human central nervous system. Its spores can survive in boiling water at 100°C for more than 5 hours. Although some bacteria are killed, the toxins they produce during their growth, or the toxins from the dead bacteria themselves, cannot be completely destroyed by boiling. Therefore, spoiled food can still cause food poisoning even if it is steamed or cooked. [China Cuisine] Misconception 2: Bacteria are afraid of salt, so cured meats like salted pork and pickled fish don't need to be disinfected
In fact, "Salmonella," a bacteria that causes gastroenteritis, can survive in meat with a salt content as high as 10%-15% for several months. It can only be completely killed by boiling for 30 minutes. Therefore, strict disinfection is also necessary when eating cured foods. Misconception 3: Frozen foods have no bacteria
Some bacteria live and reproduce specifically in low temperatures, such as "Vibrio parahaemolyticus," which can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration. It can survive in protein at -20°C for up to 11 weeks. Therefore, one should not be careless when eating frozen food. Misconception 4: As long as food is boiled, it can achieve the purpose of disinfection, sterilization, and preventing disease
This statement is only half correct. Food poisoning can be divided into two main types: biological and chemical. Biological poisoning mainly refers to food contaminated by bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms, such as mold in spoiled food. This type of food can be disinfected by high-temperature steaming or cooking, and even if a small amount of toxin remains, it will not cause serious harm.
However, chemical poisoning cannot be avoided by high-temperature treatment, and sometimes boiling can even increase the concentration of toxins. For example, toxic nitrites are produced in rotten cabbage, and eating it can cause severe poisoning. In addition, solanine in sprouted and unripe potatoes, and aflatoxin in oilseeds, cannot be disinfected by high temperatures.