6 foods you should never wash before eating
For reasons of hygiene, it is often preferable to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. But is this rule valid for everyone? We enlighten you.
Apples, tomatoes, salad, or even rice… Before you start preparing a meal, there are a large number of foods that are recommended to be washed or at least put under the water. For hygiene reasons, but also to get rid of any pesticide residues, this step is even sometimes unavoidable. However, should all food be washed before being cooked or eaten? In reality, this gesture can sometimes be useless, or even have the opposite effect to that desired. We explain to you.
Never wash the chicken
At the top of the list of foods you should never wash is chicken. If when you unpack your chicken, it may seem essential to wash it, know that you are on the wrong track. Raw chicken is very fragile and already contains a large number of bacteria in its flesh. When you wash it, you allow bacteria to grow all over its surface. However, these bacteria are not always sensitive to heat and may not die during cooking. This is a real health concern since bacterial proliferation can be the cause of infections such as salmonellosis or E. Coli. If you really want to clean your chicken before cooking it , prefer a lemon juice or vinegar rinse.
*Note that this also applies to meat in general which, being a fresh product, can be put directly in the pan.
Do not wash the eggs
For reasons quite similar to those of chicken, it is strongly advised not to wash its eggs . Contrary to what one might think, the egg shell is not a 100% hermetic barrier. It is even rather porous. When you wash your eggs, you destroy the protective film that covers them. However, when the bare shell comes into contact with water, it is subject to bacterial proliferation. Again, there is a risk of salmonella contamination that can easily be avoided. If your egg is a little dirty and you’re really bothered by it, you can always scrub the shell with a small brush before storing it or cracking it open for breakfast .
Ban on washing mushrooms
It is not uncommon to get mushrooms at the market and find them still full of soil. However, eating dirt is not really appealing. The first instinct is therefore to wash your mushrooms with plenty of water to rid them of dirt. Except that when you wash fresh mushrooms, they react exactly like a dish sponge would: they soak up water. Unfortunately, once watery, they become bland and uninteresting in a recipe. In general, the mushrooms you buy have been pasteurized and are therefore already rather clean. You can still cut the stalk, to avoid ending up with soil on the plate and brush the head to remove any residue.
Do not wash the onions
The onions arrive at your home already well protected by a fairly thick layer of skin. Before crying while cutting your onions into strips , you must peel them and put this skin in the trash. It is this gesture that exempts you from passing your onions under water. Any dirt they could hold stuck to their outer surface and therefore had no contact with the edible part. However, you can put them under or in water to lessen their effect on your tear glands.
*Note that this also applies to shallots and garlic.
Do not wash the avocados
Hidden under its black, grainy skin, the flesh of the avocado is quite safe. Its skin is so dense that it acts as a barrier against all external aggressions and against pesticides. This makes the very principle of washing useless. Not to mention that if water accidentally gets into your avocado and you refrigerate it before eating it, there is a good chance that the flesh will blacken twice as quickly. So skip the sink box for this food. Just cut it and pit it to enjoy its flavors safely!
There is no need to wash fruits whose skin is not eaten.
Just like onions and avocado, a certain number of fruits arrive at your home still protected by their skin. The latter is not edible and must therefore be removed and discarded before the fruit can be accessed. This means that the part you are going to eat is entirely healthy, since it has been protected by its skin from all potential external dangers. No need to wash your oranges, kiwis, melons, bananas or even mangoes. These fruits are very well isolated from microbes and pesticides by their skin. Obviously, if you want to do it anyway, there is no risk of developing infections.
