Here’s a little food for thought: when choosing produce in your local grocery store, studies say that an average of four people have handled it before you got there. Yikes! But not to worry: washing away bacteria and pesticides is quick and simple. You don’t need a fancy product from the supermarket shelf - just follow these steps for proper cleaning:

 

 

1. Always wash your hands thoroughly first with warm soapy water.
2. Wash produce in clean drinking water. *Produce is porous and will soak up what you use on it, so water only! 
3. Wash all fruits and vegetables, even if you do not plan to eat the skin, such as melons or oranges. 
4. Spraying: the best method for washing ripe or fragile berry fruits -- strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries -- is by spraying with a kitchen sink sprayer. 
5. Immersion: if you do not have a sink sprayer, berries and soft fruit should be placed in a colander and dipped in and out of the water several times. 

HINTS: Produce used in salads should be washed in the coldest water available to maintain crispness. To get maximum crispness, immerse the greens in a mixture of ice cubes and water about a half-hour before serving. For fruit, washing in slightly warm water brings out the flavor.