PEACHES
Being pretty as a peach comes at a price. The fruit is doused with pesticides in the weeks prior to harvest to ensure blemish-free skin. By the time it arrives in your produce department, the typical peach can be coated with up to "9" different pesticides, according to USDA sampling. And while apples tote a wider variety of pesticides, the sheer amount and strength of those on peaches sets the fuzzy fruit apart. On an index of pesticide toxicity devised by Consumers Union, peaches rank highest.
When at the grocery store fill your plastic produce bag with peaches that wear a "USDA Organic" sticker. And since apples, grapes, pears, and green beans occupy top spots on the Toxicity Index, too, you may want to opt for organic here as well. Just know that organic produce also contains some pesticide residues, but in minuscule amounts.
When you get your peaches home: Wax on, wax off. A lot of produce has a natural wax coating that holds pesticides, so wash with a sponge or scrub brush and a dab of mild dishwashing detergent. This can eliminate more than half of the residues. Got kids? Play it extra safe, and wash and pare peaches, apples, and pears.
To ripen peaches, store in a brown bag at room temperature. Ripe peaches can be stored in the crisper bin of your refrigerator for up to 5 or 6 days.
Nutritional Facts:
· Fat-free
· Saturated fat-free
· Sodium-free
· Cholesterol-free
· High in vitamin A
· A good source of vitamin C
When at the grocery store fill your plastic produce bag with peaches that wear a "USDA Organic" sticker. And since apples, grapes, pears, and green beans occupy top spots on the Toxicity Index, too, you may want to opt for organic here as well. Just know that organic produce also contains some pesticide residues, but in minuscule amounts.
When you get your peaches home: Wax on, wax off. A lot of produce has a natural wax coating that holds pesticides, so wash with a sponge or scrub brush and a dab of mild dishwashing detergent. This can eliminate more than half of the residues. Got kids? Play it extra safe, and wash and pare peaches, apples, and pears.
To ripen peaches, store in a brown bag at room temperature. Ripe peaches can be stored in the crisper bin of your refrigerator for up to 5 or 6 days.
Nutritional Facts:
· Fat-free
· Saturated fat-free
· Sodium-free
· Cholesterol-free
· High in vitamin A
· A good source of vitamin C
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