How much money do you spend on fruit and vegetable wash every month? If you are consuming as many fruits and vegetables as we are, you may be spending $10 to $20 per month. That may not sound like much, but it adds up– $100 to $200 a year could definitely be put to something better then produce wash!

Ideas? I am thinking new shoes. A purse? A nice dinner out? A couple manicures? Or maybe a massage. You get the idea. This stuff is essentially a waste of money!

Don’t get me wrong, there are many great brands out there if you don’t want to make your own. My favorites used to be Eat Cleaner and Citrus Magic. I say “used to be” because I started making my own DIY Fruit and Vegetable Wash a couple of months ago after reading an article in an old issue of Cooks Illustrated Magazine.

This is so easy, it’s insane that I haven’t been doing this for the last decade. Or longer.

All you need is a good spray bottle (Confession: I use an empty Citrus Magic Fruit and Veg Wash Bottle so that it’s easy to find), 1 part distilled white vinegar and 3 parts water. Yep, that is it. My big secret.

Yes, you just combine 1 part distilled white vinegar with 3 parts water in a bottle. So, if your bottle is 12 ounces that is 3 ounces of vinegar and 9 ounces of water. Got it?

When you get home from the grocery store or unload your CSA box, just toss all of your fruit and vegetables in the sink and give them a good spray with the mixture. Let them sit there for about 10 minutes, rinse and place on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Viola. That is it!

TIP: I have even got into the habit of spraying bananas, avocados and other thick skinned fruits that we leave out as soon as we get home to remove and/or deter fruit flies. It really seems to be making a difference and since the mixture is so cheap I don’t feel bad using more like I would if I paid $5 for a bottle.

Now for all you cookbook lovers and for anyone who just wants to support a good cause.

Sonja and Alex from the food blog A Couple Cooks have been working on a cookbook for a while – The Green Mango Cafe & Bakery Cookbook.

This is not just any cookbook – ALL OF THE PROCEEDS from this book are going to benefit the Green Mango Cafe & Bakery restaurant and culinary training program in Battambang, Cambodia, started by Center for Global Impact.

What this really means is that by buying this cookbook, you not only get an amazing collection of recipes based on the menu of The Green Mango Cafe in Cambodia, but that you are directly contributing to the continued education and training of at-risk women in that community.

I love what Sonja and Alex are doing here and just want to support them and the cause and hopefully change a few peoples life for the better in the process.

To learn more about the book, and most importantly, how to get a copy, click here!

*Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid promotion in any way, shape  or form. I just love the book and the cause.

 

Related Recipes:

IMG_4110-1Mango Shrimp pic3GBOTW: Thai-Inspired Chicken Salad from Rachel Cooks Thai IMG_5170Miso Cucumber Salad