Expert: Dr. Kristina Conner - 6/17/2006

Question
How should one prepare non-organic fruits and vegetables? I typically rinse them in water but I have heard some say you should soak and/or rinse them to remove pesticide residue. What do you recommend? What fruits and vegetables tend to have the most pesticide residue?

Answer
Mr Smith,
For non-organic fruits and vegetables, you may be able to remove some of the pesticide residues with washing using a vegetable wash or mild soap, then rinsing.  But that doesn't remove it all, and non-organics are still less nutritious, so I recommend organics as much as possible.  The highest pesticide residues are in apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, and strawberries.  
Thanks for your question.  
Dr Conner