Spring is here and my garden is starting to bloom! This time last year I was a first-time home gardener and learning so much about growing my own food. Instead of buying my favorite vegetables and fruits at the grocery store, I was picking them from my backyard. I just recently harvested my leafy greens, so today I will be sharing my homemade vegetable wash. This not only cleans but keeps your harvested goods lasting longer.
If you want to learn more about my experience as a first-time gardener, then head on over to this blog post here. In that blog post, I share what I grew last year and how I setup my garden. I have the same setup this year. The only thing different is that I focused on planting perennial plants like chilis, beans, and leafy greens this year. As much as I loved growing root vegetables, they took a long time to grow and they were all gone in one meal. I wanted to have plants that continually grew and were foods that I regularly buy at the grocery store.
Okay, now back to learning about my homemade vegetable and fruit wash…
I recently shared on my Instagram stories how I clean my leafy greens. It’s a 5-step process that cleans and lengthens the freshness of my fruits and vegetables. You also don’t need to be a gardener to use this method. I wash any store-bought produce with this solution as well.
Item’s you’ll need
- 2 Tbsp of White Vinegar (may need to adjust if using less water)
- Water (32 oz or enough water to cover all vegetables)
- Ice Cubes (1 to 2 cups)
- Kitchen Sink or a Large Bowl
Directions:
- Rinse– Give your vegetables and fruit a good rinse with cold water. This is to remove any dirt or debris from my garden.
- Vinegar Bath– Fill your sink or a large bowl with water, vinegar, and ice cubes. Let your vegetables or fruit soak for at least 5 minutes. For my leafy greens I like to keep them in the bath for 10-15 minutes. The ice is to make sure your vegetables and fruits stay crisp.
- Rinse Again– After soaking I like to give everything another good rinse.
- Dry– On a large dish towel I like to air dry everything for 5-10 minutes. If you have a vegetable spinner, this can quickly dry your vegetables/fruits and air drying is not needed.
- Store– I like storing produce in containers with either a paper towel or thin dish towel. This helps to prevent moisture from wilting your vegetables.
By using this 5-step method I have been able to keep my produce up to 1-2 weeks without wilting or going bad. Since they are already washed, this should make grabbing fresh vegetables/fruits easier when you are cooking or making your favorite smoothie.
If you aren’t already following me on Instagram, please do. Every Monday I share my weekly garden update.
Happy gardening!
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefancynavajo/
