THE DIRTY DOZEN
[B]uy organic, because there have been some very good studies that show people who eat mostly organic food reduce 95 percent of pesticides [in their body] in two weeks. ~Dr. Philip Landrigan, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at NY Mount Sinai School of Medicine
It’s always a good idea to buy organic. But if your budget requires that you pick and choose carefully, the Environmental Working Group compiles a list each year of the best and worst offenders with respect to pesticide residue.  Produce comes and goes, sometimes making appearances on this list one year and the other the next. The Daily Green offers commentary on the this year’s results.
THE DIRTY DOZEN
This list has the organic choices you want to make first; those plants that retain the largest amounts of pesticides:
- Apple
- Bell pepper
- Domestic blueberry
- Celery
- Cherry
- Grape (imported from Chili)
- Kale
- Nectarine
- Peach
- Potato
- Spinach
- Strawberry
Notice that the above list includes fruits eaten raw and produce consumed with the skin left intact. Peeling will get rid of some residue but, since no one is going to peel a grape or a strawberry, you can see why these candidates are vulnerable. An article by CNN explains how, in the case of the Dirty Dozen, washing doesn’t help as certain plants take in pesticides through the roots.
THE FIFTEEN CLEAN
There is another list, of clean produce, that is more resistant to retaining pesticide residue. If you cannot always buy organic, these are the safest choices:
- Asparagus
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Cantaloupe
- Corn
- Eggplant
- Grapefruit
- Honeydew Melon
- Kiwi
- Mango
- Onion
- Pineapple
- Sweet pea (not sugar snaps or snow peas where the pod is eaten along with the pea)
- Sweet potato
- Watermelon
You can see from this list that most – except for asparagus, cabbage and tomato – are foods that are peeled prior to cooking or eating, and some have very thick skins. I personally would eliminate one from this list – sweet corn – because, even though it is inherently resistant to pesticide, most of the corn grown in this country is genetically modified (GM) and is actually itself a pesticide! I suggest always buying sweet corn from green markets, from farmers who grow corn in a way that nature intended.
ONE SMALL SUMMERY SALAD
Summer is salad’s time. When no one wants to heat up the kitchen, salads are a way to get dinner in a hurry, or to compliment any meal, be it home-cooked or take-out. This elegant little salad uses few ingredients – Boston (butter) lettuce, cilantro and mushrooms, the addition of feta and toasted pine nuts pack a subtle punch, and is wrapped up in a white wine dressing. Perfect accompanying any fish dish, or when you want a light complement to a larger meal. A perfect summer salad. Try it, and let me know how you like it, won’t you?
I buy organic whenever I can … they sure do hit you hard with prices on it, too! Seems like it would be cheaper to grow it, if they aren’t buying chemicals. Go figure. Your salad sounds delightful, but I would have to saute the mushrooms. Neither Mr. Tucker nor I enjoy the taste of raw fungi :-)
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Glad to hear you’re eating organic. It’s the best way to eat what’s best. Economy of scale factors large – the more they sell, the lower the prices – which is one way giant agribusiness has a corner on the market. Another way is farm subsidies that make the very worse foods the cheapest. There are no farm subsidies for organic farmers growing fruits and vegetables in sustainable ways, only for thousands of acres of corn, soybeans and sugar beets that get processed into fast food, animal feed and sugar. Unfortunately, the government still supports eating in unsustainable ways by supporting unsustainable farming practices. Growing organic crops supports nourishment of the earth and the body and, unfortunately, is more costly because it takes into account the true cost of it’s production. Buying organic also supports ethical wage structures. To eat organic is to eat with a conscience, so hat’s off to everyone who does. As more people (and the government) become enlightened, prices will adjust more favorably relative to conventional farming.
Saute away, I say! The wondrous thing about cooking is that you can make it any way you fancy, feeding and expressing yourself at the same time.