# Sanitizing tomatoes?



## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Bought some Florida tomatoes but half afraid to eat them. How long do germs stay alive on firm surfaces like tomatoes or apples. I planned to take a tomato and mayo sandwich to work today.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Wash them just like you wash your hands after handling them.


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## LS-6 (Nov 26, 2019)

I've always rinsed fruits and veggies with cold water rubbing gently so I don't damage them, especially apples because you can still see some of the white residue pesticide on some of them. I don't use soap because I'm afraid I might taste some of the soap if I don't wash all of it off. 
Never got sick that I know of from this method. :wink2:


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) notes that there is currently no evidence of COVID-19 transmission through food or food packaging. 

According to Dr Tamika Sims, the Director of Food Technology Communications at the International Food Information Council, "Yes, there can be a virus transfer risk if someone carrying the virus sneezes onto your produce and within hours you touch it and then immediately eat it — but the chances of this occurring are slim."

However, you still should "sanitize" or clean your fruits and vegetable before eating them. These are the steps you should take before handling your fruits and vegetable once you get home:

Wash your hands first. Remember, you have just been in the nasty outside world and you need to get rid of any nasty stuff you may have come in contact with. 

Don't clean your produce until you are ready to eat it. Just put it where you normally would. You don't want to wash off the natural protectants the produce has and you don't want to add any additional moisture which could promote bacterial growth. 

When you are ready to use the produce, rinse under cold water and be very thorough. Use cold water, NO BLEACH!!, and put it in a colander to promote free flowing of water. 

Rub produce if needed, scrub if warranted (potatoes, watermelons, etc..). If you don't eat the rind, use a mild soap when scrubbing, I use Dr. Bronners or Dawn, because you want the rind clean when you slice through it. 

There are commercial produce sanitizers that you can add to a sinkful of water, I have no experience with them, that you can put things like lettuce in. Just be sure to rinse them and spin them dry. 

_The one thing I want to stress is DON'T do anything to the produce UNTIL you are ready to it it. _


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Soap and water is recommended by a Canadian doc. source:youtu.be/zlsm4eZ-qVk


That is the way I intend to was a watermelon I bought. I have always done that so it is nothing new.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

Yep, I wash produce to, especially stuff that comes in contact with the ground. 

If I intend to eat the rind, but not cook it, I may not use soap. Perhaps a vinegar wash, but CV-19 is easily killed by warm to hot water and then I put it in an ice water bath to cool it down quick. 

Berries and other delicate produce I find that I am buying more organic than before. And just doing a thorough cold water rinse with running water into the bowl. 

If I am not going to eat the rind, then I will use soap, and probably scrub it a bit. Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Avocados, etc.. Mainly due to the sawing action of the knife could bring contaminants into the flesh. 

When you bring berries home in their little plastic containers, just put them directly into the fridge, the little "blanket" at the bottom helps absorb ethylene gas and keeps the berries lasting longer.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Didn’t know the little blanket under berries actually served a purpose! Thanks.


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## wooleybooger (Feb 23, 2019)

Startingover said:


> Didn’t know the little blanket under berries actually served a purpose! Thanks.


Pretty sure that also absorbs liquid as it does under raw meat.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

ktownskier said:


> _The one thing I want to stress is DON'T do anything to the produce UNTIL you are ready to it it. _



ktownskier, I don't know how to it it!:surprise:Maybe I'm not old enough?


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

Nik333 said:


> ktownskier, I don't know how to it it!:surprise:Maybe I'm not old enough?


pbbbllltttt (the sound you make when blowing a raspberry)

Yes, I blew it Little Miss Nikki. 

Both the Raspberry and my typing!!:devil3:

That should have been how to eat it. 

And, it should have been "Yes, I wash produce too (as in also, or as well)

You must have had a good weekend to be so feisty.


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Wash that organic stuff, too. Organic means that instead of fertilizing with chemical fertilizer they use manure. I rent out some farm land. The farmer grows organic vegetables for grocery stores and restaurants. They put a huge quantity of chicken manure on it this year.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

There is a process called Blanching, where you dip things in boiling water.

This boiling water kills , kills, kills.

And the short time that produce is in the water, does not harm the fruit.

Small berries, you must be very fast, but they survive too.

Then dry them on a paper towel. 

Of course you use a utensil to place the fruit, and remove the fruit.
Never your hands.

ED


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Old Thomas said:


> Wash that organic stuff, too. Organic means that instead of fertilizing with chemical fertilizer they use manure. I rent out some farm land. The farmer grows organic vegetables for grocery stores and restaurants. They put a huge quantity of chicken manure on it this year.





Also organic does not mean no pesticides. Some natural pesticides can be used and still called organic.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

I just rinse and rub thoroughly with cold water.
My wife bought a cleaner specifically for fruits and vegetables.
So I guess if you are that concerned, you could find something like it. Try Amazon. You wont get it today, but you will have it.

I think the report/article above is wrong concerning chlorine bleach. I use a bleach solution to clean aquarium decorations. Then rinse well and set them in treated water before they go back into the tank.
My water has chlorine in it and we drink it.
I would say some bleach water is a good idea. Just wash them in the bleach treated water then rinse well.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

J. V. said:


> I just rinse and rub thoroughly with cold water.
> My wife bought a cleaner specifically for fruits and vegetables.
> So I guess if you are that concerned, you could find something like it. Try Amazon. You wont get it today, but you will have it.
> 
> ...


Yes, our water is treated with chlorine to make it safe. But, do you smell the chlorine when you drink the water?

When you clean the the aquarium and then rinse it, does it still smell of chlorine?

I think ingesting any amount of chlorine when you can still chlorine is probably not good for you. 

The same for produce, if you can smell the chlorine on the produce, then you should rinse it further.


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## LS-6 (Nov 26, 2019)

Colbyt said:


> Also organic does not mean no pesticides. Some natural pesticides can be used and still called organic.


To me organic means more $$$ for the product. I don't buy organic anything, and I grow my own tomatoes. Just planted 6 tomato plants and 18 various pepper plants.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

LS-6 said:


> To me organic means more $$$ for the product. I don't buy organic anything, and I grow my own tomatoes. Just planted 6 tomato plants and 18 various pepper plants.


I tend to agree with you on organic. However if you ever drink organic milk, you may never go back to regular milk.


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## LS-6 (Nov 26, 2019)

J. V. said:


> I tend to agree with you on organic. However if you ever drink organic milk, you may never go back to regular milk.


I drink skim milk, yes it's like water but 1%,2% or whole milk tastes like cream now that I'm used to it.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Me too. Skim milk. But buy whole milk for Mashed potatoes, etc.


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

We use whole organic milk for everything. I also use whole everything. There is not one food item in the house that has low fat or reduced fat on the label
Of course some foods are naturally low in fat anyway.

Salted butter, no margarine and I even have a tub of lard in the fridge. If it was less expensive, I would deep fry in lard, not vegetable oil.
Lard makes fries the best in the world!!!!!

Oh...Sorry. There is one thing. Bud Light. I do drink light beer unless I'm eating out.
I really love Dos Equis dark draught beer. The big one! Ice cold.
I get this each time I go for Mexican! I love Mexican.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

On CBS This Morning, a doctor stated that the likely hood of catching CV-19 from groceries was minimal. In fact he said, basically, it was a waste of time to use Clorox wipes to wipe down what you bring home.

CV-19 is fairly fragile in the wild. It doesn't live long when exposed to UV light (fluorescent bulbs produce UV), sunlight, heat, acid, 80 proof alcohol and other things. 120* temp water and a bit of soap for 20 seconds washes it away. So does direct heat on the surface. 

Berries come packed in a container, so after you open the container and dump them in a colander to rinse them, use hand sanitizer or wash your hands after disposing of the container and touching the berries. The same applies for any packaged produce. 

For loose produce, put them in a colander to rinse them and take them out. Before you grab a knife or other prep tool, wash you hands. And don't touch the colander until your done.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Had my sister over for pizza on the patio and she told me that a friend read that 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water followed by a cool water rinse.


This morning I confirmed that: https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/fruit-vinegar/


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## J. V. (Jun 1, 2007)

ktownskier said:


> Yes, our water is treated with chlorine to make it safe. But, do you smell the chlorine when you drink the water?
> 
> When you clean the the aquarium and then rinse it, does it still smell of chlorine?


If I were to pour a glass of tap water, yes I can smell a faint odor of chlorine. Its not overpowering, but you know its there. 
I only clean parts that go into the aquarium and I trust, the solution I use will remove it completely before I return those items to the tank. 
But the point is I use chlorine and it does not hurt the fish.
Just like using a weak chlorine solution to clean fruit and certain vegetables. They get rinsed very well.
I don't use anything but cold water to clean off these foods. But I would not hesitate to eat these foods that have been washed with a bleach solution, then rinsed well. I am drinking it regularly anyway.



> I think ingesting any amount of chlorine when you can still chlorine is probably not good for you.
> The same for produce, if you can smell the chlorine on the produce, then you should rinse it further.


I agree chlorine is a poison that can kill quickly if presented in gas form and less so in the liquid form. But none the less bad for us.
But, I am eating these foods and have little idea of where and how they have been treated before I receive them.
In my opinion a small amount of chlorine ingested is not life threatening and may mitigate the possible virus we are discussing.
After all, I have been drinking chlorinated water my whole life.
I feel that I can successfully remove enough chlorine by rinsing to amounts less than is in the water supply.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Saw on TV a machine in grocery stores Where you hold your grocery bag out and slide it thru this machine which looks like it shoots steam out both sides (inside) cleaning your grocery bag as you leave. 

Wonder if it’s really necessary?


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Startingover said:


> Saw on TV a machine in grocery stores Where you hold your grocery bag out and slide it thru this machine which looks like it shoots steam out both sides (inside) cleaning your grocery bag as you leave.
> 
> Wonder if it’s really necessary?



I would love that! But, it still leaves what's inside.
I'd like the steam machine at Fast-Food drive-thrus.


I wonder if the year of the coronavirus will change young people's thinking about being clean?


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Startingover said:


> Saw on TV a machine in grocery stores Where you hold your grocery bag out and slide it thru this machine which looks like it shoots steam out both sides (inside) cleaning your grocery bag as you leave.
> 
> Wonder if it’s really necessary?


 I myself would be more worried that the steam will cause burns on my hands, if it gets near them. 

And how do they guarantee that you won't get burned?


ED


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

Nik, There will always be people who question our new sanitizing practices but maybe the very young growing up will accept it as commonplace. Or it will depend how they were raised. 

Ed, hope those machines won’t burn anyone.


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