Tips for Washing Various Fruits (Photo Collection)
Introduction: A wide variety of fresh fruits are in season right now. How can you wash them easily and quickly?
Grapes
The surface of grapes has a white bloom and some sticky dirt. If you scrub too hard, you'll bruise them; if you're too gentle, the dirt won't come off. What to do? Here's a simple method: put the grapes in water, add two spoonfuls of flour or starch, and don't rub them hard. Just gently slosh them around. Then, rinse and sift them in the water. The flour and starch are sticky and will carry away all the grime.
Apples
Many people like to eat apples with the skin on, but many preservation techniques leave chemical residues on the surface that are hard to wash off. Here's a little trick: after wetting the apple under running water, sprinkle a little salt on the skin. Then, rub the apple gently with your hands back and forth. This will quickly remove the surface dirt, which you can then rinse off with water before eating.
Bayberries
After washing bayberries, they must be soaked in salt water for 20-30 minutes before eating. The salt water can kill certain bacteria and also help remove parasites hidden in the fruit pulp.
Peaches
Peaches are in season now. Fresh peaches are delicious, but their fuzz is difficult to remove. Here's a recommended method for washing peaches: first, rinse the peach with water. Then, grab a handful of salt and rub it gently over the surface. After a moment, soak the peach in water for a while, and finally rinse it clean with fresh water, and the fuzz will be completely gone. Alternatively, you can add a little salt to the water, soak the peach directly for a while, and then gently rub it by hand, and the fuzz will also all come off.
Strawberries
Strawberries are bright red, delicious, and sweet—a fruit that is perfect in color, aroma, and taste. Unlike pears or apples, strawberries can't be peeled, and their uneven surface and thin skin can be damaged with slight pressure. So, many people don't know how to wash them. Some just eat them without washing, which can often lead to illnesses like diarrhea from eating contaminated strawberries.
Washing strawberries should include the following steps:
1. First, rinse them under running water for a few minutes to remove most of the bacteria, pesticides, and other contaminants from the surface. Note: Do not soak them in water first, as this can cause pesticides to dissolve in the water and then be reabsorbed by the strawberries, seeping into the fruit.
2. Soak the strawberries in rice water (preferably the water from the first rinse) and light salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a basin of water) for 3 minutes. They have different functions: the alkaline rice water helps break down pesticides, while the light salt water causes insects and eggs attached to the surface to float, making them easier to rinse away, and it also has a disinfecting effect.
3. Rinse again with running water to remove the rice water, salt water, and any remaining harmful substances.
4. Rinse once more with clean water (or cold boiled water).
Reminder: Do not remove the strawberry tops before washing, as this could allow pesticides and contaminants to seep into the fruit through the "wound," causing further contamination.