Never wash these foods before cooking! Which, on the contrary, should be thoroughly washed?

Are you one of those people who tend to wash all the food before preparing food? While it is certainly good practice to wash most fruits and vegetables, there are some foods that water is not suitable for, even washing them can be dangerous for you. Do you know which ones belong to them?

Food you don’t have to wash before cooking

Uncooked meat

Raw chicken is the first food you should never wash before cooking or baking – whether you’re roasting a whole chicken or making a breast saute. Chicken meat in its raw state is often contaminated with several bacteria (Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens and the best known is Salmonella).

When you wash a chicken, instead of cleaning it of bacteria, you risk spreading the bacteria to your hands, work surface, sink, water supply and even other food. If you insist on washing the meat before cooking, use lemon juice instead of water.

However, not only chicken is a carrier of dangerous bacteria. They are also found in other types of raw meat – pork, beef, veal or even lamb. You can easily spread them by washing them, although you don’t even know it. Do not worry about them remaining on the meat before cooking – these bacteria are quickly removed by heat treatment.

It is a good idea to wipe all types of meat with kitchen paper towels before cooking to absorb moisture from the outside.

Peeled vegetables and fruits

Have you ever washed fruits or vegetables even after peeling them? Maybe because it came into contact with other foods or because you still had the feeling that the skin of the vegetable or fruit has bacteria and chemicals on the pulp… So know that in the future it is good to avoid washing peeled fruits and vegetables. for several reasons. It is not necessary, moreover, that you destroy a large part of the vitamins that they contain.

If you wash the fruit well before peeling, it is enough. Even better is to avoid peeling altogether – just wash them, of course for those whose skins are edible. Most vitamins and other important nutrients are found in and just below the skin.

Pasta

Never wash pasta before cooking. The reason? Washing before cooking removes the starch, resulting in a sticky and sticky dough that doesn’t coat the sauce as well as it should. Of course, it is different after cooking.

Mushrooms

Just clean the mushrooms with a paper towel. If necessary, you can wash them quickly, but not excessively. Be sure not to soak them in water for a long time. Unlike other types of vegetables, they do not have an outer skin, so they lose their flavor in water. And you definitely don’t want that.

Be sure to wash these foods and products

Now let’s look at foods from the opposite side: Those that absolutely must be washed, even longer or more than once?

Canned legumes

Cans of beans, chickpeas, lentils, corn or peas are a very smart solution when you need to cook something quickly. But in no case do not forget to wash them thoroughly. The liquid in which they are stored usually contains too much salt – sodium.

Canned contents should therefore be thoroughly drained and then rinsed thoroughly with cold water to remove any remaining salt. If you plan to steam or roast the beans, dry them with a paper towel to prevent them from steaming.

rice

There are certainly homes where rice is not washed before cooking, but this is definitely not a good solution. Rice should be washed in cold water and drained at least two or three times before any cooking. Some gourmets wash it 7 to 10 times. Washing the rice removes surface starches from the grains, any bacteria and other harmful substances present. The result is fluffy rice with a cleaner taste.

Canned beverages and preserves

If you’ve ever been in the back room of a grocery store – the warehouse, then you know how dirty can shipments can be when they arrive at stores. That’s why it’s not a bad idea to wash the can or can before opening it. Cans are often covered in dust, bacteria and who knows what else. If you can’t wash the can, at least wipe the lid thoroughly with a damp paper towel and pour the contents into a glass.

Fresh herbs

Whether you’re bringing in a few bunches of fresh herbs from the grocery store, the market, or anywhere outside of your garden, it’s important to wash them well but carefully. And not only before using them, but also before storing them in the refrigerator. They can contain impurities that you don’t want in the fridge and you certainly don’t want in your food.

Rinse the small packages under cold running water and pat dry with a paper towel. For larger bunches, fill a sink or larger container with cold water, place the herbs in, and gently swirl with your hands to loosen any dirt hidden in the leaves. If there is a lot of dirt, repeat the process one more time with some clean water and then dry them with a paper towel.

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