Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash

I did my big grocery shop yesterday. DH and I went to a local greenhouse to see what they had before we bought produce from afar - at the local grocery store.  This is what we got for $20:

• 6 peppers (red, orange, yellow)
• 4 heads of lettuce
• 8 tomatoes
• 1 bunch basil
• 3 eggplants
• 2 bags mini cucumbers

What a steal!!  :D  The produce is nicer than any I have seen in a store, because it's fresh.  It's local.  It's delicious.

Photo Credit

Side Note:   Laila and I also write for Keen for Green and I recently wrote about food miles.  You should check the labels on your produce and see how far they travelled to your kitchen table.

What we didn't find at the greenhouse, we bought at the grocery store.  I buy organic whenever I can, but if it's not an option, I buy non-organic.  Like others, I simply do the best I can.

I keep a big fruit bowl on our kitchen counter so we can grab fruit for a quick snack.  Organic or not, I always, always wash the fruit before putting it into the bowl.  I've used various cleansers for produce, but lately I've been making my own and I'm really happy with it.  Why?  Because I know what's in it.  And I'm it's cheap.  Here are a couple of different recipes that work wonders on your fruit and veggies.  For pennies.  Literally.  :)

1. In a spray bottle combine equal parts of vinegar and water.
2. In a spray bottle combine 1 TBSP lemon juice, 2 TBSP baking soda, 1 cup water.

For hard-skinned fruits and veggies, spray with cleaner, wait a couple of minutes, and rinse.  For soft-skineed fruits like grapes and strawberries, put equal parts water and vinegar into a bowl and soak fruit for a couple of minutes before rinsing.

For more homemade cleaners, check out this post.  And be sure to let us know about any homemade wonders you whip up!