Good Lifestyle

It doesn't matter where you have purchased the berries - from the beds, market or store - you must wash them. Even if the berries look flawless, they may have dust, germs or chemical residues. Therefore, they should be thoroughly cleaned before use. Are you sure you wash the berries properly?

What is wrong with homemade berries?

It is unlikely that the grandmother in the natural market or seller in a tent near the house checked the level of ecology at the place where the berries were harvested. And do you do it yourself? The berries ripen for a long time, absorbing not only nutrients from the environment. If you live in an industrial region, you know well that harmful emissions can be spread over long distances. Unfortunately, in Ukraine, environmental control often leaves much to be desired. In addition, the exhausts from transport also do not disappear and spread far beyond the roads. Just imagine how dirty berries bought in the city can be.

Berries, especially homemade berries, may contain bacteria, including an Escherichia coli that gets from soil, water or animals. This is a risk of serious food poisoning. Sometimes on the berries you can find helminth larvae or small insects that are difficult to see with the naked eye. Therefore, thorough washing is a need, especially if you buy it on the market or in the store, and not grow yourself.

How to wash berries?

Before washing the berries, they should be carefully considered and sorted - removed rotten or suspicious injuries, including fungal diseases. Raspberries, for example, are advised to dip into a salt solution for a few minutes. This will help to get rid of larvae that can hide inside. After that, it should be well washed with running water. Strawberries, blueberries or cranberries can be washed under a tap or small batches in a bowl, every time draining contaminated water and replacing it with fresh. But washing berries with hot water is a bad idea: so they lose their aroma and texture.

The berries can be soaked in vinegar - mix 1 part of vinegar with 3 parts of water. Leave them in this liquid for 5-10 minutes. Vinegar effectively cleanses pesticides, wax film, bacteria, molds and eggs. But do not keep the berries for more than 10 minutes, otherwise they can lose taste and structure. If there is no vinegar at hand, it can be replaced with lemon juice.

After washing the berries, it is necessary to dry well, because the moisture significantly accelerates their spoilage. Put the berries in one layer on a paper towel or clean cloth, carefully soak on top and let it dry in a natural way - for about 10-15 minutes.