Washing Vegetables With And Storing Lemon Essential Oil?

Question

According to this article it is better to use lemon essential oil when washing vegetables. It is said to add prepared mixture to spray bottle but nothing about if it is possible to store spray bottle and under which temperature.

This is why i ask this question here. Maybe somebody knows?

Also, is it critical to store mixture in a clean new spray bottle or i can use cleaned spray bottle from windows cleaning detergent?

Thanks.

Answer

I don't see a point to doing this at all. The lemon oil may act as a mild surfactant in larger quantity. Use water and elbow-grease to clean your veggies -- you're primarily trying to remove dirt. Use of Scotch Brite-style scrubbing pads (so long as they're detergent-free) works nicely for heartier veggies like carrots and potatoes, and a vegetable brush or cloth for more delicate things.

If you're trying to kill germs, you may want to try soaking briefly in a VERY mild bleach solution. If you're trying to prevent browning via oxidation, particularly in cut vegetables, acidulated water should do the trick -- add some lemon juice or crushed vitamin C tablets to water and soak until needed.

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