Cleaning Strawberries
Strawberries in ice water lemon bath.
Strawberries are a summer fruit loved by so many people, but they are also on national watch lists. Pesticides and residues can linger on the berries even after they are harvested and rinsed. One method to clean strawberries is to use ice water and lemon juice.
Lemon juice contains natural acids that are antibacterial and act as a preservative. When using lemon juice to clean fruit, be sure to use it only on the outer rind. Using lemon juice on pre-cut fruit is more likely to give the fruit a lemon taste. I found that adding the juice to the cold water first, then adding the fruit, also lessens any lemon taste on the fruit.
The FDA and CDC still recognize that the best way to physically remove dirt and pesticides is with cold running water. By adding ice to the water bath, the fruit is also chilled to a low temperature. This cold chilling acts as another preservative to make the fruit last longer.
For Two Pounds of Strawberries, you will need:
• One large bowl.
• One large colander.
* The colander should fit in the bowl.
• 1 lemon, juiced, or ½ cup lemon juice.
• 1 cup of ice.
• 4 cups of water.
• 1 large spoon.
Cleaning strawberries.
How to Wash
1. Place the colander in the bowl.
2. Pour the water, ice, and lemon juice into the bowl.
3. Add the strawberries to the bowl.
4. Gently stir and remove the leaf tops.
5. Drain the water and discard the leaf tops.
6. Use cold water to rinse the strawberries thoroughly.
7. Line the bottom of a container with a paper towel or a clean cloth.
8. Use more paper towels (or a clean cloth) to carefully dry the fruit pieces.
To get the most out of this technique, store the clean strawberries in an airtight container in the fridge after cleaning.
