Salt or Soap?

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  • January 1, 2017 12:48 am at 12:48 am #618944
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    What’s your go-to solution for kashering fruits and veggies?

    January 1, 2017 9:56 am at 9:56 am #1206561
    WinnieThePooh
    Participant

    Uh, lightbrite, fruits and vegetables don’t need kashering.

    The only kashrus issues would be bug infestation, since bugs are assur to eat. Each veggie/fruit has its own ways of dealing with bug-removal, which can include soaking in soapy water. There are some that are so difficult to check and remove bugs that we are told to avoid them altogether.

    The other issue, which is not a kashrus issue per se, applies only to fruits/veggies grown in Eretz yisroel, and that is that they can’t be eaten until terumos/maasros are taken off (tithing) and fruit can’t be eaten first 4 years from when tree is planted (orla and neta revai).

    January 1, 2017 12:15 pm at 12:15 pm #1206562
    Lilmod Ulelamaid
    Participant

    Why do you need to kasher fruits and vegetables? Do you mean clean?

    January 1, 2017 5:35 pm at 5:35 pm #1206563
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    Yes I meant clean. Sorry for the misuse of the word kasher.

    Some people clean lettuce by soaking it first in dish soap. Others use salt.

    Generally I soak my veggies or fruits in dish soap and peroxide (once in a whIle I will use vinegar instead of peroxide).

    Yesterday I tried salt for the first time (after and before rounds of soap and peroxide).

    Wondering if anyone had experimented with both and cares to compare and contrast.

    Sounds like both are effective methods of cleaning produce for kashrut

    Thanks for the correction

    January 1, 2017 5:43 pm at 5:43 pm #1206564
    yehudayona
    Participant

    You have to remove all the blood from blood oranges.

    January 1, 2017 6:53 pm at 6:53 pm #1206565
    WinnieThePooh
    Participant

    peroxide on food that you are going to eat?

    Are you doing this to remove dirt, germs, pesticides or bugs?

    There are halachically acceptable ways to clean and check veggies and fruits, some don’t need any checking at all. There are books about what you have to do for what veggies/fruit. There are also bug-free versions of veggies out there for the most problematic (like broccoli). I think you may be going overboard.

    January 2, 2017 1:04 am at 1:04 am #1206566
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    YY +1

    January 2, 2017 1:12 am at 1:12 am #1206567
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    Yes peroxide for veggies. A long time ago I house-sat for someone who had all of these holistic health books. The person also used food-grade peroxide for washing fruits and veggies.

    I remember looking it up a while ago, to order, but it was way more expensive to use food grade peroxide.

    I have mold allergies and I really never asked a doctor or anything if it’s okay to soak lettuces and berries in it, but I think it’s okay.

    There is no taste after I rinse off the peroxide.

    Vinegar, otoh, does linger around on fruits and vegetables after rinsing.

    Once in a while I discover that I needed another rinse when I find my salad tasting like soap.

    January 2, 2017 1:22 am at 1:22 am #1206568
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    I have the “OU Manual for Checking Fruits and Vegetables,” 3rd Ed.

    The OU mentions using a vegetable wash, and when a vegetable wash is unavailable, unscented liquid detergent will do (OU).

    Back in the day, I watched the most interesting video of a rabbi washing lettuce. It reminded me of that old laundry detergent ad where there is a guy stirring a dirty shirt in a glass bowl.

    Anyway, the rabbi in this video used dish soap. He said that the soap makes the leaves slippery so the sticky pads on the bug’s hands come off. My dish soap is kosher.

    Recently a friend told me that salt has the same effect. And so I saw online.

    Warning: Do not read this manual over Shabbat. I did that. I figured that finally I had time to really invest myself in learning how to inspect produce just right.

    Food. Even non-vegetables and non-fruit. Just kept reminding me of those pictures in the back of the book.

    It’s like viewing the Most Wanted List.

    January 2, 2017 6:52 am at 6:52 am #1206569
    WinnieThePooh
    Participant

    LB, people I know all use dish soap, and rinse well.

    I am glad you have the book, just follow its guidelines. I doubt it says that peroxide is necessary.

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