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One of the main benefits of growing food in your own apartment is that you avoid all the nasty chemicals that are added to the veg in the supermarkets. Most commonly Glyphosate, or GMO veg that is genetically engineered to withstand more pesticides.
The pesticides are potentially harmful to the body wreaking havoc on our gut bacteria that are also sensitive to pesticides.
Despite growing food in a permaculture apartment, we still may have to visit the grocery store. And sometimes we can't always find organic produce. So I'm letting you know ways that can help to make sure you're getting rid of as many pesticide residues as possible.
Washing
The first step is to wash veg thoroughly when you're about to use it. If you wash it and then put it inside the fridge, then your going to reduce the shelf life. So it's best to wash fruit and vegetables right before you're about to use them.
Wash with filtered or distilled water.
I wouldn't recommend tap water after, research has shown that tap water doesn't remove pesticides from fruits or vegetables.
Peeling
I lived in China for 2 years working in schools and I noticed they peel everything. Even grapes, without much thought, it's just the way they prepare their food.
I never understood why and I didn't ask either. But now I see that this is a great way to get rid of pesticides.
Yes, most of the nutrients are concentrated in the skin of most fruits or vegetables, but it's a small price to say to eliminate pesticide food.
Baking soda
Baking soda is by far the most effective way to remove pesticides from food.
Research conducted by The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has shown that baking soda successfully removes pesticides from food.
You can mix it in a bowl of distilled or filtered water and wash your fruit and veg.
Thicker-skinned fruits and vegetables
Lastly, if all else fails, you could try buying more thicker-skinned fruits and veg that you would normally peel, such as mangoes or avocadoes. The thick skin is a natural barrier to pesticides and lucky this barrier is discarded before eating.
Sources
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171025090237.htm
