DIY homemade fruit vegetable spray

Do you grow your own fruits & vegetables? If yes, I am really envious of you. For many of us who rely on commercially produced fruits & vegetables, there are concerns of pesticide residues found on the skins of many fruits & vegetables.

The Dirty Dozen chart put out by the EWG (US-based Environmental Working Group) lists the fruits and vegetables most impacted by chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Image is a courtesy of Cybele Masterman @ Blah Blah Magazine

While the soft skins of fruits are edible and contain nutrients, I often peel them away. 

In the past, I just used water to clean our fruits & vegetables before consuming. Now, I try to wash more thoroughly using homemade wash. 

Baking soda & vinegar have been great helps!  Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. 

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PRO of sodium bicarbonate:
♥ weak disinfectant properties
♥ a potential effective fungicide against some organisms
♥ absorb musty smells
♥ clean things; (1) use cold water for steels as hot water solutions of sodium bicarbonate can corrode steel (2) do not use sodium bicarbonate for cleaning aluminium things.
♥ an antacid by dissolving with water, to treat acid indigestion and heartburn
♥ enhance crispness of fried foods
♥ tenderize meats

Please be careful:
"In patients consuming a high-calcium or dairy-rich diet, calcium supplements, or calcium-containing antacids, the use of sodium bicarbonate can cause milk-alkali syndrome, which can result in metastatic calcification, kidney stones, and kidney failure."

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Vinegar is typically 4-18% acetic acid by mass. Table vinegar tends to be more diluted (4% to 8% acetic acid).

PRO of vinegar:
♥ have antibacterial and anti mold properties.
♥ The acetic acid in vinegar can effectively kill mycobacteria, even highly drug-resistant strains (PMID: 24570366)
♥ remove clogs from drains. Agnes has used vinegar to remove stains from toilet bowl.

Please be careful:
Acetic acid is a strong eye, skin, and mucous membrane irritant. Concentrated acetic acid is corrosive, please use dilution with water.

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To make a do-it-yourself (DIY) fruit-vegetable spray:

Ingredients:
♥ 1 tbsp baking soda (苏打粉)
♥ 250 ml white vinegar (白醋)
♥ 250 ml filtered water (过滤水)

Directions:
1. Put all ingredients for homemade spray into a spray bottle, please be careful as it will foam up. I do it over a sink.
2. Shake gently to mix.
3. Spray on vegetables or fruits.
4. Allow to sit for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Scrub & rinse thoroughly using room temperature water.
6. Air dry for a while before storing them in the fridge. Wet vegetables will not last long, alternatively use clean kitchen cloth towels to wipe.
7. Leftover spray can be kept in the fridge.

Other tips that I love:
♥ DIY All Natural Fruit and Veggie Wash by Chanda @ My Pure Pursuit
♥ Veggie Cleaner Spray by Sophie Ulian @ Oprah
♥ DIY homemade vegetable fruit soak by ServicefromHeart

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipes.

With love,
ServicefromHeart
20140302

Simple and sweet dessert of sweet potatoes with yogurt recipe by ServicefromHeart

Introducing Sweet potato, a root vegetable that is different in taste and texture from potato! Sweet potatoes can be cooked in similar ways to the potato but cook much more quickly. The color of sweet potato skin ranges between yellow, orange, red, brown, purple, and beige. I first learned about sweet potato as ubi jalar (literally means creeping yam) in Indonesia.

Sweet potato is rich in dietary fiber, an ideal meal for our family member who is recovering.

Servings: 2-3
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
♥ 300 g sweet potatoes
♥ 1 tbsp yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt)
♥ 2 tbsp glucose* / brown sugar
♥ 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
♥ 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Glucose powder is good to relieve fatigue.

Directions:
1. Wash, peel (under running water to prevent oxidation) and chop sweet potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Quickly put into a pot covered with water.
2. Add sugar, cinnamon to the sweet potatoes.
3. Cook over high heat until sweet potatoes are soft.
4. Add yogurt & mix. You can also use wooden spoon to mash the sweet potatoes if serving for babies.

Tips:
♥ To check if sweet potatoes are soft enough, gently pierce with chopstick or fork.
♥ Use non-stick saucepan or stir occasionally. This recipe is easy to prepare and takes ~ 5 minutes to prepare.

Check also our other #5minutemeal recipe.

Kimchi pancake with yoghurt mixture recipe by servicefromheart

 



Servings: 2
Preparation & cook Time : 10 minutes
 
Ingredients for pancake mixture:
♥ 1/2 cup cake flour (or all purpose flour)
♥ 1/4 cup sweet potato flour
♥ 3/4  cup of yoghurt & slight amount of water
♥ 1 tbsp anchovies
♥ 2 tbsp chopped kimchi to ensure its tangy fragrant is spread evenly
♥ 1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil over medium heat.
2. Pour pancake mixture to the frying pan, lower the heat to between-medium-and-low.
3. After a side turns golden brown, flip to cook the other side.
4. Garnish with your favorite vegetables / fruits.

Tips:
♥ If you like crispy pancake, ensure you spread the mixture thinly on frying pan.
♥ Serve the hot pancake with cold salad, the yin-yang sensation of hot and cold brings delicious treats to our taste buds.