Eating fruits and vegetables are good for your health, inside and out. But we want you to get all you can from the healthy foods that you eat. 

One very important part of eating fresh produce happens before it even gets to a plate, it’s washing the foods properly to make sure they’re safe for consumption.

Obviously, you want to clean your produce, so any garden dirt, bugs, fertilizer, etc. are removed. But there is also a good chance bacteria live on the outside of your foods. This means it might take a little more than a quick rinse under the sink to get your produce clean.

The FDA suggests these 7 tips for cleaning fruit and vegetables.

♦ Before cleaning any product, clean your hands. Using proper handwashing technique, wash your hands for 20 seconds using warm water and soap. Do this again after you’ve handled the produce.

♦ If the produce is bruised or damaged before eating, cut away the damaged portion and discard it.

♦ Even if you’re going to peel produce, such as an orange, make sure you rinse it before you peel it. Bacteria and dirt can be transferred to your hands and then onto the flesh of the item in the peeling process.

♦ Gentle rubbing while cleaning produce under running water is best to clean the exterior. 

♦ A clean vegetable brush should be used on all firm produce. While most people think to use one on potatoes, it can also be used on cucumbers, melons and more.

♦ Drying the produce is an important step in removing dirt and bacteria and shouldn’t be skipped.

♦ If you’re eating a head of lettuce or cabbage or something similar, remove the outermost leaves.

♦ Another important washing tip is to wait until you’re ready to eat or prepare the foods before washing them. Many people like to wash produce immediately after they return from the store, but this is actually not a safe practice.

Bacteria can continue to grow on stored produce and washing them can make them spoil faster.

While the FDA’s guidelines are good ones, they’re not quite practical for all foods. Imagine a pint of blueberries, you’re not going to take the time to carefully wash and dry each little blueberry.

That’s why we love this quick way to clean produce. It gets to all of the surfaces without intensive effort. Place your produce in a bowl and completely cover it with water, add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and then sprinkle in a tablespoon of baking soda. This “recipe” is for a batch of produce that’s about the size of 2 pints of blueberries.

Let the chemical reaction go to work, stirring gently if needed to expose all surfaces to the vinegar and baking soda. After about five minutes your produce should be clean. Rinse everything thoroughly and your produce is ready to eat.

Remember that all produce needs to be cleaned, even if it’s organic or from your very own garden. The best way to protect yourself from foodborne illnesses is to wash your produce.