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Can Fruit Be Washed With Soap? [Or Vinegar]

Can Fruit Be Washed With Soap

I typically wash my fruit with water and was curious whether it’s a good idea to wash them with soap.

I did some research and here’s what I found.

As a general rule, you can wash fruit with soap.

Any kind of soap can be used such as dish soap, or hand soap.

However, be sure to rinse it thoroughly afterward as virtually all soaps have a very bad taste.

Certain brands of soap are specially made to be edible.

The one issue with washing fruit and vegetables with soap is that certain fruit and vegetables have nooks and crannies that make them difficult to clean thoroughly.

A dishwashing brush is also too harsh to scrub fruit and vegetables with.

Therefore, many people prefer to soak their fruit in vinegar, or a solution of vinegar and ingredients like salt, or baking soda.

Below, I will discuss whether is safe to wash fruit with vinegar, how to wash fruit with vinegar, and how long you should soak the fruit in vinegar.

Is It Safe To Wash Fruit With Vinegar?

Can Fruit Be Washed With Soap

Before looking into washing fruit with soap, I had never heard about washing fruit with vinegar.

So, I wanted to know whether it’s safe or not and looked at what some doctors had to say.

Here’s what I found.

It is safe to wash fruit with vinegar.

Doctors recommend a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water.

The acid in the vinegar kills bacteria as well as mold spores.

It’s generally recommended to soak fruit in the vinegar solution to allow time for the acid to breakdown contaminants.

Certain people also drink apple cider vinegar, however, it has an incredibly strong taste.

A shot of apple cider vinegar can be taken similar to a shot of wheatgrass.

Because it tastes incredibly bad people drink it as a shot so that it goes down really quick.

But, they still get the positive benefits.

It’s generally believed that it kills parasites in your digestive system especially if you do it first thing in the morning or on an empty stomach.

You also wash it all off after you soak it, so only a very almost unmeasurable amount of vinegar will remain on the fruit afterward.

Other vinegar like white vinegar will also have the same effect.

So, feel free to choose either or and whatever is easiest to pick up in your local area.

You can also make it yourself out of just fruit juice by leaving it to sit at room temperature.

It’s important to test its taste over time to see when it’s a really strong vinegar.

People also report that certain fruit like berries keep for longer when you wash them in vinegar.

How To Wash Fruit With Vinegar?

Can Fruit Be Washed With Soap

So washing fruit with vinegar is a good idea, but then how do you actually do it?

Based on the experience of people that do it regularly here’s how to do it.

Use a container such as a large bowl or pot and pour in enough water to cover the fruit.

There is no set amount of vinegar to use.

Then add the apple cider vinegar to the water.

Finally, place the fruit into the water and let it soak for 30 minutes.

For example, if you are cleaning berries you will not need a lot of water only about 1 inch (2.5 cm).

After it has been soaking for 30 minutes pour out the water, and rinse the fruit thoroughly under the tap.

A colander can also be helpful for certain types of fruit and vegetables.

Shake the fruit and vegetables dry and put them in a plastic container and then into the fridge or the pantry.

Generally, you want to keep fruit and vegetables in the cupboard out of a container because it can create a natural greenhouse which makes them ripen and spoil faster.

Avocados for example take forever to over ripen and spoil in the fridge, whereas in the pantry they go black and turn to inedible mush in about a week.

The ideal amount of vinegar to use

Certain doctors recommend 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar (source), however, when you do the math to soak fruit becomes very expensive.

It works out to cost around 10 dollars to wash 10 pieces of fruit.

So, 1 piece of fruit costs $1 extra.

And it becomes problematic if you’re soaking fruit like watermelon which requires a very large container.

Therefore, it can be a better idea to wipe the fruit down with apple cider vinegar and then rinse it off afterward.

Like you would with regular soap.

If you have cacked on things like bird poop, or mud then soaking them in plain water is enough to soften it up so it will come off completely but rubbing it with your fingers.

Otherwise, you can just remove it with a knife.

How Long Should I Soak My Fruit in Vinegar?

How Long Should I Soak My Fruit in Vinegar

Vinegar is a mild acid that removes mold and bacteria from fruit but how long does it take to work?

A good amount of time to soak fruit in vinegar is around 30 minutes.

If you leave it soaking too long the fruit can soften considerably and lose its texture.

Therefore, to preserve the fruit or vegetable’s shape 30 minutes will give the apple cider vinegar enough time to kill most of the bacteria and fungi.

If you grow your own fruits and vegetables you will know what has been put on them, and in a backyard setting, you don’t need to use additional pesticides or herbicides.

Wood chips are generally the best option to keep down weeds and create incredibly healthy soil that attracts beneficial insects.

Therefore, you typically only need to rinse them off with water.

Unless you are spraying on a homemade mixture to keep down certain insects.

Fruit that you get at the fruit and veg store or at the supermarket can use pesticides and chemicals on their fruit or they may not.

Generally, you never know.

Therefore, a good option is to soak them in water.

Soaking them in water will soften and dissolve anything on the surface of the fruit.

You can then rub the surface of the fruit gently with your hands.

Can I make my own vinegar?

How Long Should I Soak My Fruit in Vinegar

Vinegar is inexpensive, however, if you use it for washing fruit, or treating fungal infections then you can end up using a lot of it.

So, can you make your own vinegar, and is it better to make it?

It’s very easy to make your own vinegar and you only need a few simple and inexpensive ingredients.

However, it does take 1 month for the vinegar to form.

It can also take up a bit of space because you will need to store the vinegar in jars while it is turning into vinegar.

You will need 10 x 33 fl oz (1 liter) jars or bottles so that you have a consistent supply of vinegar.

That will give you half a liter of vinegar per day.

Fruit juice left at room temperature will ferment on its own, however, there is a cheaper option.

Here’s a video that shows how it’s done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDSHl3T3d9s&ab_channel=ColorfulCanary

The general recipe involves filling a jar with fruit scraps such as orange peels, apple skin.

You then pour over water and sugar.

After that, it’s left for 30 days after which time it will have turned into vinegar.