DIY Produce Soak: De-Pesticide Your Fruits and Veggies!
How to Properly Wash Produce to Remove Pesticides & Bacteria
Did you know that a simple baking soda soak can remove up to 98% of pesticide residues from your produce? Studies show that baking soda effectively breaks down and removes common pesticides, making it an easy and effective way to clean your fruits and vegetables.
Vinegar, on the other hand, has been shown to eliminate certain bacteria that can cause produce to spoil faster. Even more fascinating? Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been proven to reduce both pesticide residues and bacterial on produce. This makes it an excellent natural cleaning solution! I didn’t have any ACV on hand when filming the video below, so I used white vinegar instead, but I typically opt for my homemade ACV.
*P.S. Watch this fun video of me using this DIY + recipe ideas!
Why I Use Both Baking Soda & Vinegar Soak
Some might say a baking soda rinse is enough, but I still like to follow up with a vinegar soak. Here’s why:
1. My juice and produce stay fresh longer when I do a vinegar rinse.
2. It may eliminate any remaining pesticides that the baking soda didn’t remove—so for extra peace of mind, I add this step.
Why I do These Soaks Separately
Many similar DIYs include doing the baking soda soak + vinegar soak at the same time, but there's a reason I avoid doing so.
When baking soda and vinegar mix, they react instantly. It creates a fun fizz, but also cancels each other out. Baking soda is alkaline, and vinegar is acidic. When combined, they neutralize into basically salty water and carbon dioxide gas. it means neither ingredient keeps its full cleaning power. Keeping them apart lets each one do its job without turning into a fizzy but ineffective mix.
How to Do a Baking Soda & Vinegar Produce Soak
Step 1: Baking Soda Soak
- Fill a large bowl or your sink with water. For around 2 gallons of water, I use about 1/4 cup of baking soda.
- Soak your produce for 12-15 minutes. Swish occasionally to ensure even coverage.
- Optional: Scrub produce.
- Rinse thoroughly under filtered running water to remove any loosened residues.
Step 2: Vinegar Soak
- Refill the bowl with fresh water.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of vinegar (white vinegar or ACV).
- Soak your produce for 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse well under running water and dry.
Why This Is a Staple DIY in My Household
I love juicing, making applesauce, and fermenting ACV, so I want to limit my exposure to pesticides as much as possible since I use the outer layer of the fruits in my recipes... and this goes for organic produce too! Many people don’t realize that organic fruits and vegetables can still be treated with organic pesticides, which I’d rather just avoid when possible.
Also, don’t toss your apple scraps! Use them to make homemade ACV or applesauce! I love using my homemade juice scrap apple sauce in pancakes, oatmeal, or just eating it plain. There are so many ways to use this the incredible apple, and as someone from the apple capital of the world, it’s definitely my favorite cold-weather fruit!
Here's to simple, non-toxic DIYs!
-Brier C.
Check out these scientific studies on the topic!
-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29067814/
-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16496573/
-https://ag.umass.edu/media-news/remove-pesticide-residues-on-in-apples-with-water-baking-soda
-https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9498324/