Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Some fruit you wash and eat. .Some you have to peel first. DO YOU just wash and eat all fruit without knowing what kind it is?
Oh gosh L. I do. We wash even cantaloupes and scrub the skin and also watermelons. Because when we cut into it we don't want germs that may be on the outside to slide in with the knife. You do live dangerously. Which reminds me. Happy first day of life on earth retroactive to day one in the life of! Thank you for your reply. You give me something else to worry about. AARRGGHH! If you grow your own food or buy from trusted ORGANIC foods supplier I guess it's ok except that even organic growers have problems. Awhile ago EARTHBOUND FARMS found some bacteria in their bagged salad things. So fingers crossed m'dear! :)
I used to eat them as a kid. A neighbor had a tree that we'd pass by and just reach up and pick one! They were delish! Ever had a loquat? Is it anything like a kumquat? Thank you for your reply Ele! :)
I've heard of them but never seen any. The dictionary says they are also called Japanese Plum and are native to China and Japan. I'll have ask the produce guy next time I go to the store. Thank you for your reply Ele! :)
I wash and peel ALL store-bought fruits. It isn't just to lesen any pesticide residue, but also the stuff they put on some fruits/veggies to make them more appealing to customers (wax. coloring, gas residue, and such). Over the years people have become accustomed to produce looking like... well ... like produce (a red tomato, an orange orange). In nature, this isnt always the case (if you grow your own produce you'll understand). In order to have various types of produce year-round, some of our produce comes from different countries - Mexico, Israel, Canada, Central/South America. Most produce is highly perishable - meaning it doesn't last very long after it's been harvested. Therefore, a lot of produce is harvested when it's under-ripe so that it'll last during shipping. To make the produce look "natural" and appealing, they use "artificial" methods such as - ethylene gas to hasten ripening (oranges and such) or applying a wax coating to make it look shiny (apples, peppers and such). They claim that this stuff is "harmless", but... ? Although the US has "high standards" for its produce (e.g, the amount of worm residue in apples, the amount of pesticide residue, which chemicals can and cannot be used on produce while growing or processing, etc.), other countries may not. Also harvesting and growing conditions can leave harmful bacteria on the outside of some produce (e.g. cantaloupe, watermelon, letttuce)
I also wash some of the produce I grow in my own yard. Not for pesticide residue or improper handling procedures, but because nature isn't always sanitary (birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it - right on your produce!).
Another very fine, thoughtful, thorough and informative reply Shuhak for which I thank thee. If you are able to grow your own food you have a lot less to worry about than if you rely on others. Including, sadly, those who grow "ORGANIC" things. What causes the various outbreaks I don't know. But months ago "Earthbound Farms" had a problem. I don't mean to single them out because other organic sources have had problems too. Why is there NO GUARANTEE that growing food organically will ALWAYS BE SAFE? We wash our hands all day long. When we come inside from outside especially.When we "visit" the john or before we prepare foods and after as well or after we've scrubbed/cleaned the house. Always washing our hands. As a result we RARELY EVER get colds. You'd think that washing one's hand would be a universal desired activity in which to engage often but I have been in grocery store restrooms washing my hands and seen folks coming out of the stalls and leaving without washing their hands. What if some of them are store employees in the produce section? Also when you go out to dine you have no idea who is preparing your food, how often they wash their hands, whether they cut veggies on the same cutting board as they cut raw chicken. I mean you are at the mercy of everyone everywhere every time you go out and about. That's why we rarely EVER eat out. We have a friend who is now retired who was a restaurant inspector in Los Angeles for the Los Angeles Health Department. Forgive me if I already told you this. He would go in unannounced and check the joints out and shut them down ON THE SPOT if they were breaking any food safety laws. That INCLUDED top restaurants. They charge you up the kazoo and for that you should have a right to expect that at least they are clean. But you can't. So just imagine the other joints and what they try to get away with? Bah humbug! I sure wish we were neighbors. If you don't have a prolific lemon tree and you are a lemon lover we'd trade you some for whatever you'd be willing to trade! The best tomatoes we ever ate came from a friend's garden. Also the best avocados came from another friend and the best oranges came from a friend who used to own an orchard and sold them to outside sellers but when he visited us he'd always bring us a very large bag probably weighing 20 lbs or more! Now in the market I see oranges selling for $ 1.28/lb! That's maybe two oranges if you're lucky and they could be sour! SIGH. End of rant. Thank you for your reply Shuhak! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at September 17, 2018 3:17 PM MDT
After working in the grocery business for nearly 30 years, I can tell you things about your food is handled that'd make you never want to eat again. Let's just say not washing one's hands after using the facilities is one of the lesser gross things. I remember at one place I worked where the heath department actually shut down all the service departments (including Starbucks) due to poor sanitation. We're talking a grocery store here!! For 24 hours you could only buy non-perishable groceries. Don't get me wrong, most employees try to follow the health departments rules (just the list of rules about which cleaner you can use where in a store is extensive). Some stores even go beyond those rules by adding additional rules of their own, all in an effort to ensure food safety.
I love lemons. When my sister lived in San Diego (80's) she had a lemon tree in her back yard and would bring me up a sackful now and then. I'd eat most of them like oranges. I know, I know eating them raw isn't good for one's teeth, but that's the best way to eat them!! Unfortunately, it's too cold to go citrus here.
Ours are Meyer lemons and those with whom we have shared them tell us they're the best lemons they've ever had! Gosh so you were "at the front" so to speak and know what goes on inside out of sight (mostly) of customers. It's jungle out there or a battlefield...pick your metaphor. Quite possibly it's a battlefield inside a jungle so you have to deal with the stalking killer predators who are armed and those that are "armed" with natural weapons like teeth and claws. SIGH. Our friend Bob (the retired food safety inspector) did tell us a few kinda gross things that he witnessed. I wonder how many people ever give a thought to such considerations? I think we live in a "grab and go" world. No time to read labels or notice whether store is clean or un. They select, they pay, they consume. Period. Repeatedly. Many businesses depend on customers like that.If little is expected of you why go the extra distance? Do as little as you have to and see what you can get away with" seems to be a very popular MO. Thank you for your reply Shuhak and Happy Tuesday! :)
Believe me, stores know how people shop (it's a billion dollar a science with them). Stores rely on the "grab-n-go" mentality. Between that and product placement, a properly managed store can drastically reduce its overall shrink (shrink is product purchased by store yet never goes through the front register - out of code, theft, store use, damaged, etc.).
Did you know that 80% of customers will only buy a product that's located directly above the shelf tag - even if there are several facings of the same item? And 35% won't buy from the other facings if the facing directly above the shelf tag is sold out. Therefore, a store with merchandise that's close to code (nearing its expiration date) can move it by placing it in the facing above the shelf tag and thus reduce their shrink. Which store do you like to shop in, one that's neatly "faced" (meaning all product pulled to the lip of the shelf and every label facing forward), or one where the product's been "shopped" (not faced)? Do you prefer to shop in a store with clean shelves or one with dirty or rusted shelving? Do you ever buy products off of ends or shippers (impulse) or do you only buy what's located in-aisle? Did you know that not every item on an end or shipper is on sale? ($$) Ever shopped in a store with a in-store bakery or deli? That aroma you smell wafting through the store from these places is deliberate. It subliminally makes you hungry so you tend to buy more ($$). And by placing a display of fresh baked bread by the checkstands, a store can further increases its sales - and not just on bread ($$$). How about that music you hear in the background? It's not there merely to keep the employees awake, but rather for ambiance. It relaxes you so you'll stay longer in the store and thus buy more ($$).
Oh, the stories I could tell you about how food is handled in a store.
Back when most soda came in 6-packs (and not covered in plastic), many employees use the flats of soda as a ladder to reach tings in the back room. So when a customer who bought soda, and drank it straight from the can.... gross! And if you think the soda in those "new" fancy 12/15 cardboard packs are any cleaner... think again!
SpunkySenior 